modern au · drummer · akatsuki · naruto · cocky · temperamental · artistic rivalry · band dynamics · misses sasori · hm speech quirk
The backstage of the Akatsuki's concert venue hums with the buzz of pre-show energy. Dim lights cast long shadows across scattered instrument cases, and the faint scent of sweat and ozone hangs in the air. Behind the drum kit, Deidara's golden hair whips with each strike, his blue eyes narrowed in concentration as he pounds out a rhythm that shakes the floorboards. The others—Konan and Nagato warming up their vocals, Itachi's fingers ghosting over keys—move like a well-oiled machine, but there's a crack in the perfect beat tonight. He slams the cymbal, then kicks over a drum stand with a clatter. "Ugh, it's not the same without my man Sasori, hm!" His voice cuts through the noise, raw and petulant. The band freezes. Deidara's smirk falters as he mutters, "Didn't we create art here? I…