せいせいした

If you sculpted a match box out of your clay and someone were to strike a match against the side of it, would that detonate the clay?”

Zetsu mimics the motion of striking an imaginary match box with a match, then splays his fingers to visualize the boom.

“I’m in need of your skill.

Even if it was Zetsu, it was nice to have someone see value in his art, too need his art. It made his heart pound with excitement, a tingling sensation squirming from his chest and through his limbs, down to the tips of his fingers.

"Of course that's something I can do. Hah!" he dove his hand into his pouch to chew up some clay, kneading in a good dose of explosive chakra. Even for something as small as a matchbox, it could make one hell of an explosion.

Zetsu returns a devious smile of his own as he hovers a tad too close to inspect the sculpture Deidara had created.

“But if you’d like to pull a prank on him such as this, I would turn a blind eye and a deaf ear for you.

Now,

this is lovely.”

Seems like Zetsu doesn’t want to touch on the topic of their most recent squabble. He’s almost already gone and forgotten about it all before Deidara piped up about it.

A step back and an appreciative nodding of his head.

“And what about a candle?

Other things that someone would bring a flame close to…

His smile fades as the contemplation inside escalates.

One hand comes up to his chin as the other balls itself up to act as a plateau under his opposite elbow.

A tilt of the head, and,

“A whore house wouldn’t be too unsound of an investment, actually.

Plenty of information to learn from many different people.

Another den to strike deals in.

Business men, politicians, the men who carry out the wicked deeds of others for the right amount of pay.

Hmmm…”

A whore house in Konoha.

I have a question.

Or, more of a curiosity about your clay and your ability to mould things.

A small number of curiosities, actually. So, more than one.

One, can your clay be detonated by any other means outside of the remote activation of your jutsu? Like if the clay was set on fire by a jutsu, or by a match.

Second, can you mould your clay into everyday shapes and objects? Like a candle, or a box of matches.

And thirdly, the least important, and more for my own personal interest, can your clay be painted? Is there a way for you to introduce different colors to your clay??

"Of course I can make stuff like that. I've made a bouquet of flowers once before. But when it comes to color... I don't really know. I think you need a special mixture for it? Though I suppose you could use acrylic paint or something." he shrugged his shoulders.

If you sculpted a match box out of your clay and someone were to strike a match against the side of it, would that detonate the clay?”

Zetsu mimics the motion of striking an imaginary match box with a match, then splays his fingers to visualize the boom.

“I’m in need of your skill.

There is no one sitting idly by the door, just waiting for Kakuzu’s return.

There is nothing to welcome him back but the familiar sensation of background paranoia since the moment he crossed the invisible perimeter set around the base.

The feeling grows more intense the further he walks toward one of the hidden entrances. The genjutsu barrier dispels to give him way then, as if he were a drop of rain joining a puddle, the barrier reseals itself behind him with an unnatural rippling to the forest’s image.

Background noise of paranoia increases tenfold past the threshold.

There is no ambush.

There is no ill intent behind the hidden set of eyes clocking each of his footsteps. And there’s not a hint of malice as it’s committing all of Kakuzu’s new bruising and scars to a mental notepad.

He’s studied from on high and never directly questioned by a voice. It’s as if he’s being haunted by a ghost— the walls and floors take turns creaking around him, movement out of the corners of eyes indiscernible from a proper poltergeist or the common malaise of his three week excursion.

Kakuzu is smart enough to know better than that though. The Akatsuki base wasn’t haunted. Not by a ghost, no, but something that could easily pass for one. Zetsu makes quick and quiet work of making sure Kakuzu has nothing else more to focus on than relaxation and recovery; the moment his robe is left unattended and all eyes are off of it, it’s gone. The dirty clothing from his bathroom gathered from the floor and replaced with a fresh set.

His laundry is started before he even finishes his shower.

A pot of water is set to boil with his nighttime choice of tea ready to be steeped in his favorite cup.

All of this and more waits for Kakuzu at his bedside.

Twitter redraw