"Deidara!"
Sakura had teleported herself to the Akatsuki hideout and yelled through tears for the blonde. "Deidara!" Still no reaction, it even looked like no one's there. Fuck! She wiped tears that kept on falling and tried to remember the way to his room, but this place was a pure maze and it was almost impossible to find a way through. "Deidara! Where the hell are you!" She collapsed on her knees, hands on her face and cried desperately. "Deidara..."
"Sakura!" The pinquette rose on her feet and run towards the voice that called her name and soon she was locked in familiar arms. "What's wrong, love?" Deidara asked while caressing the woman's hair.
"Sasuke...he's..." she sobbed.
"What did that bastard do again?" Deidara gritted his teeth hearing Sakura mention his name while crying. Again.
"He's...coming to...to...kill you..." Sakura buried her face into Deidara's chest and tightened her grip around his waist. "...all of you..."
So soon...Deidara thought. Couldn't he give us more time? A month or two would be en-, no, no matter how much time, it wont be enough. Sakura...
"Is he coming alone?"
"No," she sobbed, "he's coming with his team."
Deidara frowned. "Weren't you on his team?"
"I refused to be on this mission. Shishou understood, officially I'm on a solo mission. I couldn't...I would never..." She again burst into tears.
He felt tears filling his eyes too and placed his head on Sakura's. "Hush, don't cry," he whispered softly, "everything's will be fine." Though, he didn't believe it himself. He knew this day would eventually come, only he hoped it would be less painful.
"No, it wont!" She almost screamed those words and began to cry harder.
"Sakura..."
"I'm pregnant, Deidara," she whispered and it echoed louder in the huge, almost empty place than her yell before.
"I'm pregnant, Deidara." It echoed in now almost blank mind of Deidara. She's pregnant...our baby...I'm going to be a father... A sudden rush of bitter happiness took over him and he locked Sakura tighter in his arms and let a single tear roll down his cheek into her hair. "How long?"
Sakura had stopped crying and she answered soflty: "A month."
"A month?" Deidara replayed in his mind that night a month before and smiled. "I remember that night, yeah."
Sakura chuckled. "Me too. It was the best night."
"It was," he agreed and then sighed. "How much time we have left?"
"Less than a day."
"Then we should inform Pain."
"Tch. Well...fuck." A rather irritated Hidan growled. "Again your fucking brother is causing us trouble, Uchiha. What the fuck is he's problem anyways?"
Pain sighed. "Calm down, Hidan."
"I am freaking calm! I don't want to waste my time again on that little brat!"
The leader of Akatsuki ignored the loud nin and heeded back to Sakura. "Can you tell us any details? How many is going to attack us?"
Deidara tightened his grip on her shoulders as encouraging her to tell everything she knew. Sakura nodded. "I know only what shishou told me. I don't know the exact number, all I know is that Sasuke's team will lead that mission." She laughed bitterly. "You can't even call it a mission. Sasuke had somehow found out about your location and requested a team. Since you're a major threat to most of the countries, she agreed, no matter how I tried to stop her." The pinquette shuddered and wished she could tell more. Wait...when did I started to care for all of them? Gosh, I'm betraying my own village...
"You did good," Deidara whispered in her ear.
"Thank you, Sakura," the orange haired man rubbed his eyes tiredly. "Zetsu, please take a look at the surroundings and notify me when something happens."
The said man disappeared in the wall.
"Weren't you on my brother's ANBU team, Sakura?" Itachi asked and some more eyes focused on her. She could see the distrust in some of them.
"Not this time. You can't seriously think that I would come here, pretend that I don't love Deidara, don't know you all and then kill you without blinking my eyes. Shishou knows my relationship with you guys and she herself suggested me do this. I guess, she's still thankful for your help with that landlord."
Pain nodded. "It was our pleasure to help and besides, he was one of our targets too. Anyways, we should prepare ourselves. I want you all to be ready to fight any time. The meeting's over."
"Let's go, Sakura," Deidara said softly and smiled at her, his arm still around her shoulders while hers was around his waist.
"Don't worry, Pinky. It's not the first time we'll be fighting Sasuke and his team. And we'll win this time too," Kisame grinned and ruffled her hair while Itachi sent him a annoyed glare. "And Sasori will look after blondie and make sure he doesn't hurt himself," he jocked but at the same time it calmed Sakura and she laughed.
Sasori arched a bored eyebrow. "I will?"
"Hey!" Deidara exclaimed. "I can take care of myself perfectly well!"
"Like the other time when you had to freaking fake your death and blow up a clone just to get rid of the brat?" Hidan asked amusedly.
"Fuck off, Hidan," Deidara pouted. Sakura chuckled and laid her head on his shoulder.
"I'm worried, Dei," Sakura said as soon Deidara closed his room's door.
"Hey, you don't have to. These guys have fought against much bigger traits than your comrade. We'll be fine."
"I'm not worried about them. I'm worried about you. And I never was worried about you, that's what worries me the most! I have this bad feeling..." The tear knot in her throat made her stop and soon those tears were falling down her cheeks.
Deidara sighed and embraced her.
"Promise me one thing," she whispered, "you wont use that technique."
"Sakura..."
"Please, Deidara! Don't use it! I don't care how wounded you get or how many limbs you lose, I can heal that. But I wont survive if you...blow yourself up. I don't want to raise our son alone."
"Son? You already know it's gender?"
"I have a hunch that it's going to be a boy," she smiled finally and Deidara relaxed a bit.
"Look, love. I can't promise you anything what concerns the fight but I can promise you one thing. When this is over, we're going to start a new life. You, me and our kid. I'll talk to Leader and you'll talk to Tsunade, we will have a normal family somewhere safe from all Uchiha's and bloodthirsty criminals. Does this sound good to you?"
Sakura chuckled. "I don't know if a man with mouths on his hands and woman that can crush mountains can be put under the label "normal family" but, yes, it sounds good to me."
"Good. Now, let's spend our time as good as we can," he lifted her chin up and looked in her eyes, "I love you, Sakura."
"I love y-"
She didn't manage to finish her sentence as she was silenced by Deidara's kiss. He lifted her on his arms and brought her to his bed where he gently laid her down not breaking their kiss for a second.
...
They were awakened by a loud knock on his door.
"What?" Deidara growled.
"It's time," a voice from outside, that he assumed was Sasori's, informed him.
"Fuck," he tried to quietly get out of the bed, not waking Sakura up but apparently Sasori had already done it. Her eyes were wide open, filled with sadness and fear, her hair messy.
"So soon..." she whispered and watched Deidara put on his clothing.
"I'm sorry, but you'll have to stay here. For your own and our child's safety, alright?"
Sakura nodded and sat up. Deidara sighed. "Don't worry," he said while leaning over her, "give me your best smile. There, much better." He kissed her one last time and then wanted to leave, but Sakura held him down, deepening their kiss and running her fingers through his long, blond hair.
When they broke for air Deidara smiled widely. "I love you, remember that."
He left. And Sakura knew. Call it a womans hunch or whatever you want to call it, she just knew. This was the last "I love you", the last smile, the last kiss, the last time they had sex. It was the end. He wont hold her in his anymore, they wont be sneaking out from Konoha or the Akatsuki base anymore. He was going to die. This was his last fight and she burst out in tears.
"Oh crap."
"You're right, blondie. We're fucking screwed. But look at the bright side, it's Kakuzu's lucky day. You can almost hear how he counts in his head the fucking money he will get when he collects those freaking ANBU bodies."
Before them stood at least four Konoha ANBU teams with Uchiha Sasuke as their leader.
"Just hand me over my brother and you have a bigger chance to survive, Akatsuki."
Hidan snorted besides him and Deidara had to agree. "That brat really thinks we're going to give up that easily."
"He's a fucking Uchiha, they all think they can have what they want. Fucking heathens! Jashin will be pleased to have some ANBU blood for dinner."
"I'm sorry, brother," Deidara and Hidan almost jumped when suddenly, like out of nowhere, Itachi spoke, "you'll just have to come and get me."
It was Sasuke's turn to snort. "I'll kill every single one of you!"
"You're on, brat!" Hidan with maniacal laugh headed for the nearest ANBU soldier and the others followed his lead.
...
Fuck!
Deidara was in a dead end. His clay was almost gone, left arm broken in five different places and on top of it the one he was fighting with was from Aburame clan. It meant that he had bugs coming after him and he didn't liked bugs. Especially when they had evil intentions in their tiny, probably empty minds.
He quickly looked around. Itachi was barely holding on and Deidara knew if the older Uchiha wasn't counting his last days already, he would have easily finished the brat and the fight would be over. Hidan had his fun sacrificing one of his victims, Sasori was in a bad shape too and the others we're fighting too intensively for him to judge.
What worried him the most was that Tobi was nowhere to be seen. Damn that freak! Where the hell is he? I hope that he's not hiding somewhere, otherwise the others will eat him alive when they'll find out he's not there. Freaking bugs!
If only I could...but the clay is almost gone...
I have only one option left...
But doing this for only one bug freak wouldn't be that great, now would it? I need to somehow attract more of them.
...
Ten kilometers should be around here. Deidara thought. He had managed to attract five other ANBU soldiers and now they were getting away far enough to not harm the base and the rest of Akatsuki. He did realize that he just had decided to sacrifice himself for the sakes of others, but he believed that it was what a true artist should do. Make an art of himself.
I'm sorry, Sakura. Forgive me this. He thought while undressing his bottom half and revealing the mouth on his chest.
Deidara jumped of the clay bird and patiently waited for his opponents to arrive. Soon enough he was encircled by them and he smirked.
...
Fine art is the beauty of that single fleeting moment of explosion...I love you, Sakura. Take a good care of our son.
That was the last thought on his mind.
Sakura collapsed on the ground and started to cry desperately when a pretty beaten up Sasori opened the door.
"I'm sorry," he started, "I couldn't...I didn't notice in time when he...flew away with at least five opponents...and..." He went closer her and duck besides her. He wanted somehow ease her sorrow but he knew he couldn't. No one at this moment could. "...I am really sorry, Sakura..."
Quietly the others who were still alive had come there too. Kisame sat down and embraced the crying, petite woman.
"Who...who else died?" She finally managed to ask through sobs.
"Itachi and Konan...also Tobi and Zetsu is nowhere to be seen." The big man at her side said sadly and wiped a tear from his eye, he'll miss his partner too.
"Wh-who needs to heal s-something?"
"Sakura..."
"Just...let me do it! Let me be useful," another tears broke out and even Hidan was unusually quiet seeing her sorrow.
...
"What are you guys going to do now?" Sakura asked after she had forced everyone to heal even the smallest cuts. She needed to distract herself and eventually they all let her do what she wanted.
"There's only five of us left," Pain said with a sigh, "we should disappear from the stage for a while. Maybe recruit new members...I don't know...I didn't expect this to happen."
"No one did, Leader."
"I know, Kisame. Sakura," he looked at the pinquette with sympathy, "you should go back to Konoha. I wish I could offer a place in the Akatsuki, but even I am not sure about the future of this organization."
"I know. Don't worry about me...I'll live..."
"Pinky...good luck..." Sakura smiled a faint smile and hugged the big man. "Thank you, Kisame."
"I will see you one day, right?" She asked and turned her head at Pain who quietly sighed at her question.
"I hope so," he came closer and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, "I really hope so."
"Fucking Jashin! This is too much, come here, Sakura!" The always so loud Hidan wiped tears away and locked her in his arms.
"H-hidan! I c-can't breathe!"
"Sorry, babe" Hidan eventually let her go and the rest of Akatsuki followed his lead and hugged Sakura wishing her luck and promising they'll meet one day again.
"What's the status of your mission?" The blond Hokage asked Sasuke.
"Success."
"Really? You killed the Akatsuki?"
"Five of them. Including my brother."
Tsunade nodded. "I see. How many we lost?"
Sasuke was silent. He didn't dare to answer this question, he knew that Tsunade will skin him alive when she finds out the answer.
"Are you planning to answer it or not? Uchiha, how many we lost?" She was getting angrier, suspecting the answer of her question.
"I am the only one who survived."
"What?"
"I am th-"
"I heard you the first time! You're telling me that you just send to a certain death 12 of my best ANBU? Are you fucking out of your mind? It was even an official mission!"
At that moment Sakura entered her office, covered in blood and with red from crying too much eyes.
"Dear, Kami! What happened to you, Sakura?"
"It's not my blood, shishou. It's from those whom I healed..."
"You were there, weren't you?" Sasuke spat venomously. "You tried to warn them, save that blonde bastard, am I right, Sakura?"
"Yes, Sasuke, I was there, I warned them and I healed what was left of them and I tried...I tried...to..." Tears took over her again and she, no matter how much she didn't want to show Sasuke in what pain she was now, she fell on her knees. Tsunade immediately run to her and embraced her apprentice. "I assume that Deidara's dead too."
"Hn, that idiot blew himself up along with five ANBU men."
"I'm sorry, Sakura." The Hokage comforted her. "Want some sake? It'll help to deal with the pain for a while."
"I can't drink alcohol, shishou. I am-"
Tsunade's eyes widened as she knew only one serious reason why a woman can't drink alcohol. "...you're pregnant...Gosh Sakura...why didn't you tell me earlier?"
"What would that change? Sasuke would go there anyways and if not for him, then someone other would kill Deidara."
"Excuse me," Sasuke tried to process the information he now heard, "am I right, you're having his...child?" Sakura saw the disgust on his face and felt her anger rose, and thanks to Tsunade who was holding her, Sasuke's jaw was still in it's old place.
"Calm down, Sakura-"
"Calm down? Don't tell me to calm down, shishou! That bastard is responsible for the death of my child's father! How I'm going to raise him alone?"
"First of all, you're not alone, I'll help you and so will all of your friends. Second, it's going to be a boy?"
"I have a hunch..."
"You're keeping it?" Sakura couldn't believe he actually dared to ask something so horrible. This time Tsunade didn't step between her anger and the Uchiha, he should have know not to mess with a pregnant woman, who had just lost the love of her life and who naturally had a temper a fire could wish for.
Five years later
"Morning, Shizune! Shishou asked for me?"
"Yes, go quickly!"
What's this time? Last time she wanted me so quickly was when Haru blew up his classroom. I hope that the Academy still stands at it's place...
"You asked for me, shishou?" Sakura asked cautiously when she opened the Hokage office door.
"Oi, Pinky! Long time no see!"
"...Kisame?"