Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, but if I could I'd own Deidara YEAH!

Pairing: SakuraxDeidara

Summary: It was artful, in a flash there it was, love.

Art in Silence

Akatsuki; the name strikes fear in many. To one girl, she ponders the love that was created in it, the love many would die for, the love that many have died for.

The kyuubi, that's what started the chain reaction of many events. Though the kyuubi was the match, a girl with pink hair was the flame.

She was on a mission A-ranked, her 10th one at the age of 18. Protect Naruto from Akatsuki at all costs as he visited Suna. One may not think of body guarding to qualify as an A-ranked mission, but if you knew Naruto…

"NARUTO!" the scream was heard across the gentle forest hiding Konoha.

Wincing the blond-haired kyuubi container turned to face the green eyes of wrath. "Sakura-chan…" he said in a piteously small voice. "Don't hurt me Sakura-chan, I can take care of myself.

"Naruto," Sakura briefly hugged her friend, she wasn't really mad at him, but it was hard to protect him if he kept rushing ahead. "I have to protect you, that's my mission, I know it's going to be hard, on the both of us, but please, for my sake?"

"Hai, hai," Naruto mumbled looking at the ground, blue eyes downcast.

"Hey, don't be so glum, I brought ramen," Sakura teased slightly in a cheering way. She didn't want to upset her friend, but she needed to protect him, he was all that she had left.

Sasuke's body had been taken over by Orochimaru, then he was killed by Naruto, the boy still had nightmares of that night.

"RAMEN, yay Sakura-chan!" he yelped gleefully. "You're the best I love you!"

"I love you too," Sakura laughed, Naruto had given up on her, and they moved on into a brother-sister relationship, they even shared an apartment, though that would change soon. Naruto had proposed to Hinata, and she had agreed, they were getting married next winter.

The pair continued unhindered for the next day or two. They traveled slowly, not wanting to attract any unwanted attention. There were a couple rouge missing nin, but not anything really worth mentioning.

It was raining on the third day. Sakura had a slight twinge in her stomach, something would happen, but what… Trying to shake it off as paranoia, Sakura attempted to ignore it, though as the day went on, it became worse and worse. Soon Sakura couldn't walk without feeling the bile rising in your throat.

"Naruto… let's rest a bit ne?"

Turning back Naruto looked at Sakura's disheveled appearance, and the pain on her face. "Sure Sakura-chan, I could use one myself," that was lie. They both knew it. Naruto could probably walk for days and not be tired, the kyuubi made sure of that.

Sitting on a mossy rock, Sakura looked around at the wet landscape, the rain was falling in a soft mist, and fog was rising from around the tree trunks. The rain had made everything sparkle with natural beauty, and the air was refreshing. Taking a deep breath all the way through her diaphragm, Sakura found herself idly wanting a canvas to paint the beautiful scenery.

Painting was a way that she expressed herself, none knew of it, and she was a fair artist, she didn't make anything more beautiful then it was, she painted what she saw, not what she knew.

Sighing she stretched her arms, cracking her neck and back made satisfying popping sounds. Closing her eyes for a moment, she leaned against Naruto, who was sitting by her. "Naruto?"

"Ne, what is it Sakura-chan?"

"I love you Naruto, don't ever leave me, I can't be alone again."

"I love you too Sakura-chan," hugging Sakura to him, Naruto knew he would probably lose control to the kyuubi if she ever left him. She was the one precious person he had left, after Sasuke-teme… they both had broken, hard.

Looking at the sleeping girl in his arms, Naruto knew he loved her, as a sister of course… but all the same he loved her.

After an hour, Sakura woke up, looking straight into the thickened mist, she saw a black figure protruding, steadily coming closer.

Standing, both she and Naruto drew kunai, and waited. Closer the figure came, close enough to tell that they were wearing a black cloak with red clouds: Akatsuki. Turning to Naruto, she could tell by the look on his face that he had noticed to.

Pain, the slightest bit of fear, but mostly defiance, his eyes shone bright blue, cutting through the darkness and the gray sky.

The Akatsuki member wasn't wearing the usual straw hat, but his hair was blond, coming down over one of his eyes.

Gripping the kunai Sakura winced, the suspense was killing her. "Hello yeah," a strange voice whispered in her ear.

Whipping around Sakura looked at who was right there, blond hair over one eye, the other eye the same color as Naruto's, Akatsuki robes. Frantically searching her mind for a name she found it, "Deidara."

A lazy smile spread over his face, "Very good Sa-ku-ra-chan," he taunted mockingly.

Instantly Sakura stabbed him with a kunai to fast for him to react, "Aww to bad kunoichi, I thought we could be friends yeah" The Deidara poofed away.

"Shimatta! Kage bushin," Sakura swore angrily. Turning to see where Naruto was at, he was facing three kage bushin, and holding his own. Looking to the sides and behind, 'below!' She jumped up, but nothing came. 'Above?'

Looking up she saw Deidara sitting on one of his clay birds. All of the sudden it swooped from it perch, only years of reactions built up saved Sakura from certain death. Jumping from where she was it swept past, and turned to make another pass.

It was coming fast, Sakura faked to the left, and went right, but Deidara had assumed this and went right as well. This time it hit its target, but the target wasn't to kill Sakura.

Instead Sakura was pulled onto the bird, and the last thing she saw was Deidara's face, smiling, and a bright blue eyes. Then her world went black. 'Naruto…." was her last conscious thought.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Waking up in pitch black darkness, Sakura wondered briefly where she was. Memories of what had happened flooded her mind. One stood out in particular, one of a Akatsuki member with blond hair.

'Deidara,' she thought, 'that was his name.'

'Cha! I'm going to rip that bastard to shreds!' inner Sakura yelled angrily. (AN: I have my own opinion on inner Sakura, she's not someone inside of Sakura's head that Sakura can have conversations with, but just what Sakura is really thinking but is to afraid to say)

A light flashed onto her face, causing her eyes to squint in a sudden reaction. "Get up, Sa-ku-ra-chan yeah." It was that mocking voice.

'Like hell."

Sakura stood up, staggering slightly, her head dizzy from the sudden movement. She tried to call chakra to her hands, to heal the bruise that she had felt on the back of her neck… but it wasn't there. Searching deep inside of herself, she felt a little spring of chakra, only enough to heal her bruise.

"We left you some chakra, only a tiny bit, so don't even think of using that monstrous strength of yours yeah?"

"We?" Sakura questioned, her throat ached at the effort, and it was dry, parched for water. Placing a hand to her throat, Sakura was about to heal it. Something no other medic nin could do, for a month as long as she had chakra Sakura didn't need to eat or drink.

A hand on her wrist stopped her. "What do you think your doing," Deidara hissed… was that concern in his voice. "Don't even think of trying to use a suicide jutsu on yourself. Yeah?"

"Suicide jutsu?" Sakura croaked. "I just was trying to heal my throat." Ripping her wrist from Deidara's gentle grip, (she had just realized that it was indeed gentle) Sakura proceeded to heal her throat. It felt like water was pouring down it, it was sweet and cooling.

Deidara watched on interested, he was shining a candle on her, bathing her in flame. "Follow me."

Turning to the door Deidara walked swiftly to it, beckoning her to follow when she made no movement.

Opening a door, he blew out a candle. And so was Sakura drawn into the life of Akatsuki.

Weeks passed and Sakura found herself actually relaxing in the presence of the S-class criminals. More often then not she would catch and chastise herself for it. But Deidara especially was easy to talk to.

She knew she should hate him the most out of everyone, he was the one who had captured her, the one who had brought her to this place against her will. Though… she couldn't and at time's she didn't want to hate him at all. He infuriated her, but he always made her smile. Once when she was deep in depression around the first week of her capture, he made her a clay rose.

Accepting the offered beautiful sculpted clay he handed her, she twirled it idly in her fingers, wondering what to make of it. When he was questioned he responded that he hated to see his 'Sa-ku-ra-chan depressed, yeah.

Surprisingly another easy person to talk to was Sasori, another art lover; though he believed in a different kind of art, the kind of art that is everlasting, like blood, the blood that he loved to spill.

Sasori did creep her out slightly, but she got over that quickly. Sasori was like an older brother almost, albeit a weird one, but all the same… Deidara he was another matter altogether.

She was starting to have feelings for him, there was no doubt of this, but she felt like she was betraying Konoha, and Naruto. Naruto, the thought of what he would say made her cringe.

Shaking the thought from her troubled mind, Sakura didn't notice Deidara coming from behind her. Jumping when he placed a hand on her shoulder, Sakura looked at his darkened expression, and knew something was wrong.

"Deidara?" Her soft voice shook him out of his seeping depression.

"Sakura-chan, there's… something happening, that concerns you."

"Me?" Sakura was startled, enough so that she didn't notice he said her name without the mocking tone.

Nodding slowly, Deidara walked away, and motioned for her to follow. Deidara wasn't saying anything, and Sakura then knew that something had really upset him.

On the way to wherever they were going the duo where joined by Sasori, who also looked exceedingly glum, Itachi who… well he always looked like that, and Kisame, who didn't look glum like the others, but not exceedingly happy either.

That's when Sakura first began to have her suspicions, was she going to be killed? No, she was bait for Naruto. They wouldn't kill hey yet… would they? Kisame must have noticed her expression and grinned sinisterly, "Don't worry kunoichi, there's no killing of you… yet." He laughed loudly at that statement, but shut up when everyone including Itachi glared at him.

Entering the forest the Akatsuki, and Sakura began running, to what she didn't know, but as she began to tire after 8 hours of running, Deidara picked her up and held her close, she knew it wasn't going to be good.

Sakura must have fallen asleep, for when she woke up she and Akatsuki where standing outside a building. Everyone looked grim now, even the joking Kisame. Who despite his words, actually cared about Sakura.

Hell even Itachi did, she was their little cherry blossom, something to be protected. It made them wonder how she had done it, but they would die to protect her, and this made them uneasy.

They marched into the bleak darkness, only slightly lit by dull flames. Trudging corridor after corridor they came upon a wooden door. Leaving Sakura in it, they filed back to the corridor to an unknown destination.

Despair coiled in Sakura's stomach, an ache that shouldn't be there was. They were going to leave her here for who knows how long.

The room was sparsely decorated; there was a desk, with paper and pens, a chair that looked surprisingly comfortable, and a bed.

Picking up the pen and paper, Sakura began to write, words that filled her heart.

To Everyone who cares about a Girl,

Love, love is here. I love you. I love every inch of you, yet I do not know you. Not even your smile.

Love is a strange concept; love is an emotion, like hate, or rage. If it is simply an emotion, why are we afraid to say it? Why can the words, "I hate you," easily pass our lips, when, "I love you," halts on the tongue.

Love is new; love is nothing we have ever felt before… that is a lie. I have loved, I have loved more deeply then one could imagine.

It left me. Tears are starting to blur my writing but I no longer care. Those smiles, the laughs, everything I've been doing, is a façade.

I no longer know how to smile, or laugh, or be true to myself… I'm living a lie, and dieing in my own private hell.

This is for everyone who ever tried, this is for the one friend I can't even acknowledge, and this is for the one who loved me like a daughter, but couldn't speak a word.

I love you. You may not ever know this, I may not ever have the courage to speak the words aloud, but I love you.

It pains me to not say this to your face, or even in a letter, but the words are true to the core. I cannot say love out loud, it won't work, the syllables won't form on my lips. For this… I am sorry.

I love the ones I've fought against, the ones I've met in momentary silence, I love you all.

This may seem to be the easy was out to you, but it is hard to write this. My hand is shaking.

I love, again. But this love is still unrequited, still painful to maintain. Once again I fear rejection, this time I silence myself.

I shall live with my heart shattering every time a kind word forms on his lips. So to the man I love in silence, I love you. More than anyone, I love you.

To his art in silence, to his open heart, I love you.

Let's pretend this is the ending, to the love I've been sending.

In loving memory to who I was

Haruno, Sakura

Placing the paper and pen upon the glossy desk, Sakura curled into the plush chair, hugging her knee's to her chest, she let herself cry. For not aloud she had admitted she was in love, with… Deidara.

She fell asleep, but was awoken by the touch of a hand upon her face… then the hand licked her. Wait! Licked her?

Opening her eye's Sakura saw Deidara standing in front of her. "Sakura get up, yeah." Standing shakily Sakura popped her back and neck, feeling decidedly better she looked at Deidara confused. "To the hall Sa-ku-ra-chan, yeah!" but it was fake; they could both tell the strain in his voice.

"Okay…" Sakura did what he bid her to.

Looking over to the desk, Deidara noticed the paper and the writing. Picking it up he stuffed it in one of his many hidden pockets, no time for that now. Following Sakura to the hall he placed his hand at the small of her back and gently pushed her in the opposite direction of which they came in.

Eventually they came across another wooden door. Pushing it open Deidara placed Sakura into the center of the room, and stood back into the shadows along with the other Akatsuki members of his region.

"Blood will be spilled," a voice echoed across the chambers. Looking around Sakura felt a chill across her spine. The four Akatsuki members stepped forward. Each with a small shot sized glass in their hand. In one smooth motion they each whipped a kunai from their robes. Sakura watched fearfully, as her body moved the same as theirs did. Four glasses were in front of her.

Each of them slid the kunai across their wrist, while Sakura sliced down on of her veins. Her arm was positioned so that each of the glasses would be filled.

The cuts were shallow, but thick warm blood flowed from the cut's oozing and dripped from their arms. The smell of blood hit Sakura's nose, rust almost. Soon the bleeding stopped, and each member stepped forwards, their glasses filled with blood of their own. They each took a glass of Sakura's blood and replaced it with their own.

They downed the glasses, and once again Sakura was compelled to do the same. The blood was rich and warm, though metallic in the way it slid down her throat. All the blood was gone, and memories filled Sakura's mind.

FLASH

A boy with raven hair stared down at a miniature of him, drenched in the blood of their family. He hoped that his younger brother wouldn't see him cry. "Kill me Sasuke, for what I've done."

FLASH

A blue skinned boy ran from the jeering children, only to return much later and slaughter them all. "This is what you get for laughing at me."

FLASH

A red haired pale skinned boy stared at his grandmother, how did she not realize that he had killed his parents, and turned them into puppets for his own use. "Fool, kill me now, or are you to weak to kill one who will kill hundreds more."

FLASH

A young blond haired boy sat sculpting clay, it exploded all of the sudden, killing everyone in a 5 mile radius. Drenched in blood he grinned manically, "This is power, the power to create, then destroy it in a single moment of pain."
More and more memories ran through Sakura's head, why the did it, their lives before and after they had done it, and the moment they had realized they had set their destiny's forever.

Akatsuki saw the memories of Sakura, the pain she had suffered. And they wondered why, why hadn't she cracked like they had, why hadn't she killed.

"Blood has been spilled, blood has been taken, the blood bond has birthed, and only with consent of both can blood be forsaken." The voice echoed through the room.

Sakura's face flushed pale, blood, too much blood. It swirled around her filling her soul, covering every inch of her skin. Without warning she dropped to the floor, fainted, and blood filled dreams that were not her own filled her head.

Deidara in a panic rushed forward, grabbing her before her head could collide with the concrete floor. The others came forward to, their eyes wide, she was a part of them now, it was natural to be worried.

Perhaps the blood bond should be explained, the blood bonds binds together the souls of two or more people, but this is different. The Akatsuki are not bound together, they are only bound to Sakura, and she to all of them.

They can no longer raise a hand to harm her, for they feel the pain they would inflict on her, and it is the same in reverse. If one of them died, so would they all though, because Sakura is bound to each of them, so she is the binding link. It is only in death that this works, if one of them is hurt, Sakura can feel their pain, though on a slightly smaller scale, they however do not feel the pain of Sakura, because it is not originally her pain.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Four days later Sakura woke, she was lying on the bed Akatsuki had given her. Inspiration filled her, making her stomach feel as if it would burst if she couldn't get it out of her.

Standing slowly, Sakura went to the door, she lent against it for a moment then opening it to see a surprised Deidara with his had inches from where the doorknob had been. "Deidara!" She said happily, but her voice sounded strange, foreign to her. Blankness took her vision for a moment and she fell forward.

Hastily Deidara caught her in his arms, and found her staring adoringly at him with clouded eyes. "Thanks," she whispered weekly. "Deidara?"

"Yeah," his voice lacked the usual enthusiasm, but was replaced with, concern.

"If you could, get me a canvas, paints, and brushes, I need to paint.

"Sure, but let's get some food and water into you first yeah!" His voice was more enthusiastic again.

"Mmhm," Sakura agreed mumbling. "Put me down, I can walk."

Acquiescing to her request, Sakura was placed gently on the floor, and holding onto Deidara's arm they made their way into the kitchen. The other three Akatsuki members sat around the square oak table, with two empty chairs. "Hello!" Sakura said, forcing her voice to be louder and happier.

Deidara lead Sakura over into her chair, and was immediately asked if she was alright. "I shall be perfect when I get food into me. Then after that you," she pointed to Sasori, "and you," to Deidara, "will be taking me out to town so I can pick up a couple things."

When asked why, she replied, "Art." The unartful Akatsuki members shuddered, Sakura should have taken either just Sasori with one of them, or just Deidara with one of them. Both together, it could be disastrous.

Once in the town they headed to the nearest art vender, Sasori glaring at Deidara and vice versa. Smiling happily Sakura began choosing colors, different shades and hues of the primary's, some secondary, and only a few tertiary. Them moving on to the brushes she picked out that best rounds, flats, and filberts she could find.

Standing up she could here an argument behind her growing louder and louder.

"ART IS SOMETHING ETERNAL SO THAT YOU CAN ENJOY IT FOREVER!" That sounded like Sasori.

"NO IT IS SOMETHING INSTANTANIOUS, A SINGLE FLASH OF PURE BEAUTY IN A FLEETING MOMENT LIKE AND EXPLOSION!" That was Deidara.

Turing with a scowl on her face Sakura stalked up to the two haughty Akatsuki member and grabbed their ears. Pulling them down to her eye level she twisted the ears roughly getting pain filled groans from the two men. "SHUTUP!" Sakura said loudly "Art is both, eternal and beautiful, like a sculpture of painting. Also it is instantaneous like when there is a flash and we realize something in that one split second, or when there is the moment between things being whole or being destroyed. Now be quiet or I'm sending you two home." Letting go of their ears Sakura glared at both of them.

Rubbing their ears and returning glares of their own the two walked away while Sakura finished her shopping.

Grabbing a canvas or two Sakura paid for the supplies and walked away. Deidara and Sasori followed a step behind her. Silence reigned upon the three but they didn't mind.

Reaching the Akatsuki hideout Sakura went back upstairs and unpacked her supplies. Shutting her door she put a chakra seal on it, and even though any of them could break it, it showed that she wanted to be left alone.

And for three days none of them saw Sakura. It was like she wasn't even there.

Deidara was coping with his own problems, he had realized that he loved her, Sakura, but he didn't want to say anything. Most of the time he spent pondering and pacing. Then he was sent on a mission.

"SAKURA!" It was Kisame yelling for her.

Quickly moving her finished painting to a corner so that you could see it from her bed she ran out the door and almost into Sasori.

Gripping her arms tightly he stared into her eyes, "Deidara's hurt, we don't know if he can make it."

A hardened look filled the green eyes of the medic. "Bring him to my room." Turning away she walked back into the room of which she had just walked out. Opening her medical kit Sakura placed it onto her nightstand. Leaning against the wall she put a hand to her mouth, forcing down the tears that wanted to erupt. She couldn't work if she cried, she's wait until she had saved the man she had come to love.

Itachi was carrying him as he walked into the room, "On the bed," Sakura managed to choke out.

Deidara had been stripped of his Akatsuki robe, and he wore no shirt. Blood cover his face and chest, his hair stained with his blood. Numerous smaller but still nasty wounds covered his arms and face. But the one that Sakura could barely look at was the one in his chest, it was a gapping hole, you could see the torn veins and muscle, a little bit of blood stained bone was visible too.

Forcing the bile rising in her throat down, Sakura told everyone to leave. I am a medic she thought to herself; this is part of my everyday life. Placing two hands across the hole she began summoning a healing chakra, green and glowing it came pouring out, but as it spread throughout Deidara's body it only healed the minor wounds, not the most dangerous one.

Deidara blearily opened his eye, blue met green, "Hey… he said softly.

"Go back to sleep," Sakura ordered gently. "I don't want you to see what I'm about to do." He obeyed.

Grabbing a spare kunai Sakura slashed it across her wrist, placing a finger in the blood she began writing symbols on Deidara's chest. Then on her arm she wrote similar symbols.

Once again she began pouring chakra into the wound, but it was different this time, it was white, glowing. The wound began closing slowly. The process took hours, and Sakura was nearly dead when she finished.

Pulling away she smiled softly at the sleeping man, "Get some rest."

Walking out the door she looked at the waiting Akatsuki members, killers or not they cared about one of their own.

"He'll live," Sakura said tiredly. Then she fainted to the floor, only to be caught by Itachi.

"Stupid girl," he commented angrily. She used her life force, she could have died."

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXXO

Waking to the world Deidara rose up slightly in bed, light was streaming through the windows and there was a pain in his chest that would be there for the rest of his life.

Seeing something in the corner, Deidara realized that it was Sakura's painting. He squinted his eyes to get a better look.

Deidara looked at the finished painting, and a grin spread across his face. There was a light rain, it made everything glow with a natural beauty that should be impossible to capture on canvas. Mist rose from the ground in a swirling white fog, and there protruding from the mist was a lone figure with slightly visible blond hair in a red and black cloak.

FINISHED THE END!

I decided not to have them confess their love for each other in the story cause I tried that and it messed up the flow. So I used this instead and I thought it turned out better this way cause it leaves more options only, who knows maybe in a few more fics I'll write a companion to this one who know!

Anyways review so I can be HAPPY!!! Please