Inbred

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Chapter 49

It was just after five in the morning when the black vehicle drove up the cobblestone driveway and the early morning light, behind thin wisps of grey clouds, gave the atmosphere a soft, dream-like appearance. The electronic gate closed behind it as it came to a halt and its occupants disembarked. Deidara got out so he could help Naruto with his luggage, which was only fair since he was the one responsible for making him suffer through so much discomfort during the long ride. Sasuke held his bag in one hand so he could open the back seat for Neji even though he didn’t have to since the Hyuuga was now awake and Hinata slipped out after Naruto but when she offered to help carry some of his burden the chivalrous blonde refused.

“Just leave everything here. I’ll take care of it, yeah,” Deidara volunteered with a dismissive wave of one hand and snatched the luggage from Naruto only to put them on the ground anyway. Sasuke added his bag to the pile and it steadily became larger as he liberated the rest from the trunk.

“DEIDARA-SEMPAI! YOU’RE BACK!”

The older man sighed when his young protégé screamed his name and even the noisy Naruto flinched at the ear-splitting sound as the young red-head sprinted across the lawn, flanked by two, large doberman pinschers and when Hinata saw the animals she ducked behind Naruto.

“Tobi, how many times do I have to tell you stop yelling across the compound like that?” he firmly reprimanded the disobedient youth. “And why are you not in uniform?”

“Uhh…’cuz…see…I was bathing the dogs and I didn’t want to get it dirty?” was his lame excuse but Deidara knew he was lying and proceeded to give him the same lecture he had to give him every time he refused to wear the black shirt with the red cloud company logo on it.

The dogs trotted away from Tobi’s side foregoing the ‘heel’ command and advanced towards the group. Hinata cowered and clung tightly against the back of Naruto’s hoodie but they paid her no mind even though they could smell her fear and instead stopped in front of the Uchiha and sat as if waiting for another command.

Sasuke chuckled and got down on one knee and scratched them both behind their ears and hovered his hands before their noses so they could re-familiarize themselves with his scent.

“Oi, Sasuke, those are your dogs?” the astute Naruto asked, his voice a little hard to hear over Deidara’s that was steadily increasing in volume.

“Yeah,” he replied with a shrug as if it wasn’t really a big deal then patted the one on the left with the light-blue collar. “This is Raijin and the other one’s Fujin. They’re brother and sister.”

“They’re adorable,” Naruto raved and stepped closer so he could touch them but when he did so Hinata let go and hid behind her cousin instead.

“Careful though,” Sasuke warned from over his shoulder as his friend got down on one knee as well. “Rai’s the complacent one but Fu’s not so comfortable with strangers touching her.” Naruto nodded and stretched out to pat the dog with the blue collar but its temperament changed dramatically and it began to growl viciously at him. Naruto quickly withdrew his fingers and the dog immediately returned to its placid disposition.

“I thought you said that was the nice one,” the younger teen whispered, cradling his hand against his chest while keeping a very watchful eye on the fickle mutt.

Raijin was the nice one. At least, that was how he used to be when Sasuke saw him last, unless he’d somehow developed a ferocity akin to his sibling. Sasuke’s eyebrows furrowed and he folded his lips as he examined the almost identical twin but it didn’t take long to realize what the problem was.

“Hey, Tobi!”

Deidara ceased his tirade and both he and the boy being lectured turned to face the Uchiha who was now removing the blue collar from around Fujin’s neck then doing the same with the red one around her brother’s.

“You got their collars mixed up.”

“What! Again?” Deidara screeched then slapped him hard across the back of his head causing him to howl in pain. “You’re such an incompetent dolt, Tobi. I don’t know why I put up with you. Here,” he leaned over to pick up two suitcases and all but threw them to his younger co-worker. “Take all these inside, let’s see if you can at least do that right.”

“Heavy,” he groaned, straining under the weight and Deidara made an exasperated noise deep within his throat and took one from him, greatly decreasing his load. He turned to walk along the path that lead to the front door but stopped when he suddenly thought of something. “Where should I put these, Deidara-sempai?”

“Hm…not really sure,” he said after much thought. “Just leave them by the door. Uchiha-sama will sort them out, yeah.”

“If Ucihiha-sama is moving back in, does that mean that we have to work from the van again?” the boy whined.

“Well, duh!,” he spat with an annoyed roll of his dark-blue eyes.

“Actually, it’s fine,” Sasuke cut in from his position on the ground where he and Naruto were taking turns rubbing Raijin’s stomach. “You guys can stay in the guest area. Naruto and Hinata can have the spare room upstairs, me and Neji…,” he stopped his ministrations on the dog’s underbelly and the animal sat up in its regal position once the fun was over. “Neji and I will share my old room,” and he sighed heavily, hesitant about the idea of having to spend even one night in that room again.

As reluctant as he was, he had to come to terms with the fact that this set-up was the most practical. With Deidara and his men on the premises it would be much easier for them to keep an eye on Neji and sleeping upstairs would be much safer than spending the nights in the downstairs guest rooms.

Deidara was against the idea as well since it wasn’t their policy to actually live with the client and the only reason they were staying in the house in the first place was because Sasuke asked them to when he moved onto campus, but if the Uchiha didn’t mind having them share the house then it was fine with him. He really didn’t like working from the van either.

Naruto was surprised Neji didn’t protest about their lodging arrangements but he kept his mouth shut just in case he changed his mind but the distant look on the Hyuuga’s face made him feel as if he really wouldn’t care at all or had even heard a word anyone was saying.

Tobi led the way, closely followed by Deidara who kept chastising his lack of strength as he struggled to walk with the large case and threatened to intensify his training if he didn’t shape up. They followed the path that led from the garages and hugged the side of the house but when they turned the corner and the expanse of the estate gardens came into view Naruto and Hinata gasped loudly.

“Breathtaking, yeah?” Deidara grinned and Sasuke had to agree.

They’d taken meticulous care of the grounds and premises during the years he’d been away and he wondered if they were responsible for the property management themselves or hired help, but while they didn’t strike him as the type that would do house chores, he figured it was more the former than the latter since his brother had this nasty habit of slaughtering anyone who set foot on the Uchiha estate but the irony was that Deidara and his men were the only people who had survived for more than twenty-four hours and were still alive to this day.

He wanted to believe that they were just that good, because really and truly, they were. Their previous employers included the Prime Minister, the District Attorney and an accountant who was to be a witness against the Yakuza but something told him that if Itachi really wanted to kill these men he would have found a way to do so and that was what made Sasuke suspicious, not to mention the fact that Deidara was the one who approached him and volunteered his services. His proposition was that he wanted to offer protection to the Uchiha heir from the homicidal serial killer but after they survived the first night, even the klutzy Tobi, Sasuke began to suspect that there was some link between Deidara and Itachi, but he couldn’t prove it…yet.

He allowed them to continue working for him since they did a very good job of keeping away trespassers but the real reason Sasuke kept them under his employ was because he hoped to unearth the connection they shared with his brother.

He could have been putting too much thought into it, was probably being too paranoid. It could have been just a simple coincidence where Deidara only wanted to add ‘protecting the Uchiha’ to his glowing resume and Itachi, thinking they were competent enough to do so, decided to leave them alone, but the alarm that kept going off inside his head told him not to be so naïve.

Tobi hobbled up the front steps and almost tripped on the welcome mat but Deidara stopped and looked up when he saw another one of his team-mates, high upon on a tall ladder and inspecting a security camera on the wall.

“Hidan, you’ve checked those things twice already this week and if they weren’t broken yesterday what makes you think they’ll malfunction today?”

“Is it not better to be safe than sorry, my brother?” was his simple reply and he spoke as if he were giving a sermon before a congregation while slowly descending the metal ladder. “Why wait until the last moment and be caught unawares when you can prepare before hand and properly address the issue before it yields disastrous outcomes, don’t you agree?” He stepped off the final rung and now that he was standing flat on the ground he seemed a lot taller than at first. “Uchiha-sama, welcome home.”

“It’s good to be home,” he muttered silently.

Hidan observed him through his knowledgeable eyes and he shook his head almost sadly. “To lie to one’s self is more destructive than lying to another, but it’s not my place to tell you that, am I right?” he added quickly just as Sasuke was about to open his mouth to something along those lines.

Of all Deidara’s men, Hidan was the one that annoyed Sasuke the most but only because he had this intrinsic ability to read people’s thoughts and if there was one thing Sasuke hated was having people probe around inside his mind.

“If you’re done with the security checks will you help Tobi bring in the luggage?” Deidara ordered just as the boy trotted away to collect more bags and, just like Tobi, he didn’t acknowledge the presence of the other three teens.

Naruto just thought Tobi was too exited to see his sempai to notice them and maybe this new guy was a bit too stuck-up but when they stepped into the genkan and the third person they met greeted Sasuke but said nothing to the others Naruto became peeved.

“Sasuke, I thought being polite was very important in your culture,” he whispered after slipping out of his sneakers and stepping into a pair of slippers his friend handed to him.

The Uchiha raised an eyebrow and scratched the back of his head in confusion. “Huh?”

Naruto watched and waited for the boy Deidara called ‘Sasori’ to disappear down the hall after changing the batteries in his walkie-talkie before he pulled Sasuke aside so they could talk without being overheard.

“It’s probably just me but these guys have been ignoring me, Hinata and Neji, well, except Deidara,” he added after remembering that the other blond had spoken to him on a few occasions.

“Oh,” he nodded after understanding what Naruto was so upset about. “But why do you care,” he grinned, finding it quite funny that the usually impetuous teen had a problem with their discourteous manner.

“I don’t,” he grumbled and threaded his fingers behind his head. “I just think it’s rude.”

“I understand what you’re saying Naruto but these guys are professionals and are just doing their job.”

“But would it kill them to say ‘Hello’?” he yelled and Naruto hadn’t realized that he’d said that a little too loudly and when all eyes were suddenly on him he chuckled awkwardly and wiggled his fingers at everyone. “H-Hey, how’s it goin’?” he stammered.

“Is there a problem, Uchiha-sama?” Deidara asked with a slight tilt of his head.

“Not really,” he replied. “But my friend here isn’t very comfortable with your ‘conflict of interest’ policy so if it’s okay, just this once, could you introduce everyone since we’ll seeing a lot of each other now we’re all under the same roof?”

Sasuke could tell Deidara was against the idea and he cupped his chin with one hand while he meditated on it before nodding very slowly. “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt…just this once,” he complied and began calling his partners via walkie-talkie and ordering them to gather in the living-room as soon as possible.

The taller blond motioned for the group to follow him into the next room but Naruto grabbed Sasuke by his arm before he could walk away.

“Sasuke,” he said softly, his voice barely above a whisper. “I can’t help but feel this is one of those things I’m going to end up regretting,” and the Uchiha smirked at his wary confession.

“You have no idea.”

***

Deidara’s men congregated in the sunken living-room and occupied all available space on the three-piece living room suite and Tobi was forced to sit on the ground for lack of room but the care-free youth didn’t seem to mind.

Deidara borrowed a bar stool from the kitchen and placed it next to the couch where Hidan was seated and he sat upon the chair the wrong way so he could rest his arms against its back.

Sasuke and the others stood facing them but Hinata was nervous with so many pairs of eyes on her so she avoided their gazes and huddled closer to her boyfriend, keeping her eyes glued to his shoes. Naruto blamed himself for putting her in such an uncomfortable position and he squeezed her hand reassuringly but he felt just as uneasy as she did. He looked over at Neji and noticed that the Hyuuga didn’t seem to care that he was made the centre of attention with them and he brazenly met every eye that landed on him.

“You’ve obviously realized that Uchiha-sama’s returned, yeah,” Deidara started and when every one of his men nodded he went on. “Uchiha-sama’s been kind enough to allow us to stay within the compound while he’s here and he’s asked that you introduce yourselves to his friends who will be staying with him as well.”

“With all due respect, Uchiha-sama,” the mature red-head spoke up, “but that is against our company’s policy.”

“It’s okay, Sasori-kun, I’ve allowed it just this once” his blond supervisor confirmed with a nod.

“Whether you’ve permitted this or not does not erase the fact that the reason this rule is in place is to avoid any conflicts of interest,” the youth argued.

“I agree, Sasori-kun, but I trust you are all professional enough to make sure a situation like that doesn’t arise, right Tobi?”

The young boy jumped at the sound of his name and it was clear to everyone that he hadn’t been paying attention. “R-Right, Deidara-sempai,” he agreed, not exactly sure what he was agreeing to but thought it better to just say yes than make the other man angry again.

“Okay, let’s begin, shall we,” and he tapped a long, index finger in Sasori’s direction. “Let’s start with you.”

The boy stood and bowed respectfully before the strangers but as much as he was trying to be polite his expressionless face made him appear reluctant and insolent.

“My name is Akasuna Sasori. I am seventeen years old. It is a pleasure to meet you.”

After giving his flat introduction he reclaimed his seat and the burly man next to him grinned when he realized it was now his turn, causing the three, ‘V’-shaped scars on his cheeks to widen and his unnaturally, sharp incisors to flash against the overhead, fluorescent light. “I am Hoshigaki Kisame,” he stood and greeted in a gruff voice. “I am thirty-five years old and pleased to meet you.”

Before Kisame took his seat again he kicked Tobi in his back and the young boy snapped alert after zoning out again.

“Oh, is it my turn?” he asked, looking over at his thoroughly annoyed sempai and pointing unnecessarily at himself. “Hi! My name is Hougyoku Tobi,” he chirped rather excitedly while madly waving one hand at the others. “I’m seventeen too but my birthday is after Sasori-san’s so I’m younger, actually…,” he trailed off and tapped his chin with his fingers. “I’m the youngest one on the team.”

“And the most immature,” Deidara muttered under his breath.

“Ah, but it’s good to meet you all and I’m happy we’ll be spending lots of time together.”

“Tobi, don’t misunderstand,” his supervisor snapped. “You’re only here to work, not goof around, so make sure you stay out of Uchiha-sama’s, and his guests’, way.”

“That’s right, that’s right,” the boy nodded and assumed a suddenly serious expression on his face. “I am a very busy person so please don’t get in my way,” he asked nicely of the group and Deidara slapped his palm against his forehead.

The second Tobi completed his sentence, the odd character sitting on the couch next to Kisame with the green hair and two-tone, black and white face paint spoke up. “My name is Shokubutsu Zetsu. My age is not important and I would greatly appreciate you staying out of my way as well.” He remained seated throughout his curt introduction and Deidara didn’t reprimand him for his rude behavior, nor did he reprimand the man who went after him.

He didn’t rise to his feet either but just stared at the three teens from behind his dark shades. “I am Hokubo Kakuzu,” he said with a slight growl. “Same as to my right: My age is of no concern to you and I don’t want you getting in my way.”

Sasuke raised an amused eyebrow as he watched the silent confrontation between the cold Kakuzu and an infuriated Naruto and even though his eyes were masked behind those round frames, Sasuke could tell he was glaring at his best friend who was glaring back just as intently.

“My name is Jashin Hidan,” the pious man in the chair opposite Kakuzu spoke up while rising slowly to his feet. “I will be thirty-seven years old in four months and it is a great honor to meet friends of Uchiha-sama.”

His smile was sincere and Naruto couldn’t help but smile back. Maybe this guy wasn’t so bad after all.

After Hidan took his seat again Deidara straightened in his and rocked it slightly while holding onto the back of the chair as if they were reins.

“You all probably know me as Deidara by now,” he grinned with a wink in Naruto’s direction and the younger blond could only wonder what the significance behind it was. “I’m twenty-five and together we make up the Akatsuki group.”

“Red moon…” Naruto muttered and nodded when he noticed the embroidered image on the left breast pocket of each team member.

“Mmm?” Deidara stopped mid-rock and the chair reared up for three seconds before falling to the floor again.

“No, it’s nothing,” Sasuke spoke up with a slight snicker. “Naruto’s still learning Japanese, so he tries to interpret words as he hears them.”

“Ah, I see,” he nodded in understanding, his hair bouncing slightly. “Actually, blondie, Akatsuki, in this case, is one word and means ‘dawn’ or ‘daybreak’,” he explained while sitting straight up, suddenly taking on the demeanor of a school-teacher. “But I can understand why you were thinking along those lines even though you don’t have to break up every word like that, yeah. Good job!”

“Umm…thanks,” he muttered and a quivering smile spread across his face. He really wasn’t sure what to make of this guy now. He wasn’t as annoying as he first thought and he actually seemed like a pretty cool guy but Naruto just wished the hypocrite would stop calling him ‘blondie’.

“I guess it’s my turn now,” Sasuke sighed and stepped forward so he could introduce his entourage. “The blondie,” he smirked when Naruto flashed him a vehement glare. “Is my best friend, Uzumaki Naruto and he’s nineteen years old. The little, shy one next to him is his girlfriend, Hinata,” and the girl’s face glowed red when he called her name and she pressed one burning cheek against her lover’s arm.

Sasuke was certain not to mention their family name and he was sure Deidara and his men noticed, even though they didn’t ask but when he gestured to his dispirited lover standing just a few feet away he was tempted to affectionately refer to him as Uchiha Neji, just to see if he could get some kind of reaction out of him.

“The quiet one is her older cousin, Neji, and my relationship with him is nobody’s business but our own.”

“Ah, Uchiha-sama is gay,” Tobi snickered and Sasuke felt a thick vein pound at the side of his temple.

“Baka ne!” Deidara fumed, his face turning beet red with anger and embarrassment. “Did you not just hear Uchiha-sama say it was none of our business?”

“Sorry, sorry,” the boy apologized profusely to his mentor and the man he’d been rude to.

“Gah…I’ve had enough of you already and the day hasn’t even begun yet,” Deidara raged in exasperation. “As punishment you will work from the van for the rest of the day and sleep in it until tomorrow.”

The youth wailed in protest but had he been any more emotional then he would have broken into tears at that point and Deidara felt a certain peace settle over him now that he no longer had to put up with the boy for an entire twenty-four hours.

To the remainder of his team he gave them their usual orders and they politely excused themselves so they could get back to work.

Deidara leaned dangerously far back in the bar stool but before it completely collapsed he bailed from it and nimbly landed to his feet and in one smooth motion slung it around his body to support it on his back while gripping it with one hand.

“Zetsu and Kakuzu may seem difficult to get along with but they’re just dedicated to their work so it would be best if you don’t approach them whenever they’re busy,” he said while walking back to the kitchen to return the chair. “Sasori and Kisame don’t mind interruptions but they tend to work while talking so don’t think they’re being rude. Hidan loves a good intellectual conversation but when he realizes time is getting away he will abruptly end it, but it’s not like he’s being rude either. Tobi on the other hand,” and a tiny shudder crept along his spine when he suddenly imagined the brat opening that big mouth of his.

“I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you not to talk to Tobi unless absolutely necessary. If he gets involved in any kind of conversation he won’t shut up and he’ll never get any work done.”

Naruto was a little disappointed at that. Of all the others, Tobi seemed like the only person he could relate to and he already looked like a fun person to hang out with, but Sasuke said they were professionals and he supposed it wouldn’t be prudent to have the kid slacking off and playing video games with him…besides…he had Hinata so he really didn’t need any one else.

Deidara excused himself so he could make his early morning rounds before running a few errands and told them to just let the others know where to put their bags.

“Nice place you have here, Sasuke,” Naruto whistled in awe as his friend led them down labyrinthian hallways and up lofty stairways.

“Thanks,” he muttered silently and his grip on the handrail tightened as that familiar feeling that had been lost to him after he moved out washed over him again in a torrent.

It wasn’t going to be easy living here again, but he had to put his comfort aside for the sake of those he loved, those he cared most about. This was nothing more than a test, a test that would prove to him, once and for all, that he loved Neji more than himself and that he was not going to let the past hold sway over him any longer.

He had a new family now; Naruto, Hinata and Neji and he wasn’t going to allow the ghosts of his old family to come between them.

***

Sucky chapter, yeah I know…but I am so glad it is over. Please don’t get too attached to Deidara and the Akatsuki members because they won’t be making many appearances since NC-17 stuff will be coming up shortly and we don’t want them getting in the way, now do we?