Title: Kamikaze
A/N: Just a quick story to ease my stress for finals. Please review and tell me what you think, criticism is always welcome.
Disclaimer: I do not own any characters or Naruto, they all belong to Masashi Kishimoto.
July 18, 1940
He met her at the very beginning of the war. She was young, carefree, and gentle a far cry from the grim faced nurses that roamed the white walls of the hospital. Smitten, he asked her out to dinner that night. He was even more surprised when she finally managed to utter through her heated face a confirmation.
"Was that a yes yeah?"
"Yes!"
"Why are you so worked up yeah?"
"Nothing! It's just that no one has really asked me out before…"
"Well, they don't know what they're missing hm."
He was promptly booted out with her muttering something about embarrassing her, how he should stop and that she would be ready at six o'clock.
That night was nothing short of perfect. From that day on he visited her daily, bringing her little tokens of affection and words of love only to be playfully shoved out of her way as she rushed from one patient to the next.
July 23, 1940
It was on their third date when he broke the news. He had enlisted as a pilot and successfully accepted. He had expected a warm pat on the back and a dazzling smile but was only greeted with a sullen expression and a curt congratulations. That was when he found out. She was of royal blood and no ordinary civilian. Her parents did not see him as a fit suitor. And dating a soldier was in no means honorable.
"I'm sorry Deidara. It's just…"
"No I get it yeah. You just had the opportunity to tell me but you didn't."
"Deidara, wait! It's only been a couple days since we met! Deidara listen to me!"
He walked out on their date. Frustrated, depressed, and angry at what he thought was so close to fleeting perfection had slipped through his fingers. When he got to his apartment his roommate watched him placidly decimate a coffee table before handing him an envelope.
Deidara left the next morning.
December 7, 1941
The glowing red haze underneath the belly of his plane excited Deidara like never before. The smoke and destruction covered the air with thick smog. Death and dying ravaged the air. His mission to bomb Pearl Harbor had been a success and the US had never seen it coming. The Pacific fleet was destroyed.
Fleeting and beautiful. Deidara couldn't help but laugh maniacally at the sinking ships and desperate sailors jumping into the water. It weighed him with a certain guilt but all he did was brush it off.
"Deidara get your ass back. The mission's over and we don't need any more casualties."
"Yes sir!"
Dipping his plane to a lower elevation Deidara purposefully flew through the thick plume of smoke emanating from a ruined carrier. Smiling deviously he basked in the pride of his overwhelming victory.
Suddenly a blur of pink ran by on the land. Jerked to attention he looked down. It couldn't be! By then he caught sight of a moving blob of pink and was convinced it was none other than her. But what would she be doing halfway across the world?
"Deidara what the hell are you doing?!"
December 8, 1941
The raucous din of their celebrated victories filled the cramped mess hall. An overwhelming victory against the United States was something that everyone couldn't resist boasting about. But Deidara was in no mood to participate in the antics of everyone else. Withdrawing a yellowed and crumpled paper from his pocket he dialed a number written in neat flowing script. It rang three times before someone picked up.
"Is this the Haruno household yeah?"
There was a sigh. "Is this that commoner that refused to leave Sakura alone from last year?"
"Yes, it's Deidara yeah. Can I speak to her?"
A pregnant pause. "That girl is no longer my daughter. She defected shortly after you left last year to those cursed Americans. I hope you're happy." A click and dull ring of the phone told him that the person on the other side had hung up.
The phone call had confirmed the worst of his suspicions and that night no matter how many times Hidan had tried to start up a brawl with him, he could only muster himself to drown his own sorrows with alcohol.
January 15, 1943
It had taken her close to three years to track down where he went and how to reach him. The information she had finally obtained would still probably not land in his hands considering how the war was looking now. She was heartbroken after his departure and unable to conform to the ideals of her home country all Sakura could think about was leave. She left in the dead of the night without warning leaving nothing for her family to wake up to. The only person she thought about was him. And now she could finally talk to him through smuggled letters. It would matter if he chose to read them.
That night she left her little apartment and walked down the amiable streets making little turns until she had lost track of how many she had made. Glimpsing a figure standing in the shadows she approached it.
"How much?"
"Don't worry about it. I'll get it to him with no cost. Any man can see how desperate you are."
Nodding gratefully and taking her hand off the concealed weapon in her jacket Sakura pulled out a thick bundle of letters instead. "You have my eternal gratitude."
February 24, 1943
His mood was in the pits so when a higher up handed him a bundle of letters Deidara couldn't help but snatch it rudely from the outstretched hand. And who would send him anything that heartfelt anyway? He had no knowledge of any living relatives and his parents were long deceased. Ripping it open carelessly Deidara's eyes widened and he nearly dropped the papers onto the unidentified mush sitting on his plate. A cassette tape, pictures, and numerous letters were stuffed into the overflowing envelope. Rushing away his heart thumped with anticipation.
After countless hours of searching Deidara finally located a cassette player and sat down in the minimal privacy of his sleeping quarters. Pushing the dusty button the tape began to play.
"Deidara I'm sorry I haven't been able to get in touch with you sooner. I'm also sorry I haven't been able to tell you why I did what I did. And I'm even more sorry that I had to tell you this way. But all is fair in love and war. Deidara you have no idea how much I missed you. I miss you every day of this goddamn life. It hurts so much to not see your blonde hair and those blue eyes. I want to see you so much but this war is keeping us apart. I know Deidara. I know you were there at the bombing of Pearl Harbor. I know you had a part in that destruction. But know this Deidara, I love you boundlessly and no matter what this war makes you do, know that I will always love you from this life into another."
The last couple seconds of the tape was just up her choked up tears and sobbing that had left him in the same state. Her letters weighed even heavier on his heart and Deidara could only thank the gods that he had met someone as forgiving as Sakura. Love knew no bounds. So Deidara picked up a pen and began to write.
November 4, 1944
Sakura had a stash of notes, pictures, and letters from her lover across the seas. What she was doing could be considered treason and she could very well be executed for it. But the war had recently turned in favor for the Allies and there was nothing to worry about. Only that meant Deidara would not be doing was well. Every letter served to relieve her temporarily that he was still alive and doing well and the steady stream was her life line. However Sakura was growing more and more worried. The casualties of war were mounting on both sides and as a medic on the front lines Sakura had stomached the horrors of war. She couldn't wait for it to be over.
Deidara was depressed and the continual massive losses of the Japanese were weighing on him. The only thing that could lift his mood was the letters of Sakura's daily life in where she worked. The generals were itching to get a good blow in but America's superior technology was progressively putting them a step ahead of them. It was time for a change of tactics. A stirring speech was given earlier that day inviting men to enlist in a new program that sounded as grim as it was. Kamikaze: Dedicate your love and life to the country for you shall be awarded in the afterlife.
It would be a fit way to go. Fleeting, evanescent, and with a bang.
"I'm sorry Sakura. I'll be waiting for you in the honorary afterlife."
May 11, 1945
Deidara positioned himself in front of the camera and gave a dazzling smile. The camera flashed and his face wrinkled slightly at the bright light. Today was the day.
"We as a country salute your bravery and the sacrifice you guys have chosen to make. Japan will not forget your noble decisions to give your life and protect the country! May the gods welcome you with a status of wealth in the next life!"
Everyone on board saluted, tall and proud of the decisions they had made. Still Deidara's heart was heavy as he thought about Sakura. Soon everyone drifted apart and got into their individual planes. A higher up walked by to inspect his plane.
"Remember, don't even think about it and just crash into the carrier. The bombs strapped in will do the rest of the job. You are tasked with crashing into USS Bunker Hill. You will bring great honor to your country and family."
"Yeah yeah."
Sitting down Deidara thumbed a faded picture of Sakura. She was smiling and the glowing white sand surrounded her ankles. A thin white sundress flowed with the wind and her pink locks illustrated her youth. How he wanted to see her again.
"I'm sorry for everything I'm about to do."
X
Sakura was quickly moved onto the USS Bunker Hill when they found out a medic had called in sick at the last second. The war was favoring the Allies and Japan was standing in the way. Sitting in the infirmary Sakura looked at a recent photo of Deidara. He was in a neat uniform with his trademark ponytail and bang hanging in front of his eye. His boyish youth was characterized by his lazy posture and carefree demeanor. A hot piece of sexy according to Ino who happened to catch a glimpse of the photo once.
"Stay safe Deidara."
X
When Deidara took off his mind was blank. Fulfill the mission. That's it. He saw his comrades next to him with similar expressions. Nodding at each other they continued flying straight into the radar of the Americans.
They opened fire the moment they were detected. In slow motion he watched Hidan and Kakuzu go down, frantically aiming to hit the carriers they were assigned to. Flames or red burst and engines went dead. There was screaming, panic, and death.
So much death.
The clear blue water turned a light tinge of red. Smoke mushroomed into the sky. Plane after plane went down. Cackling Deidara flew until he caught sight of the USS Bunker Hill. Bingo. Gunning the engine Deidara nosedived for the surface of the carrier watching as it plummeted closer and closer to him. It was as if time had stopped.
Fleeting and beautiful. He was going to out with a bang and meet Sakura in the afterlife as a noble. What else could he want? He felt a jolt when he hit the carrier. Frantic screams rose to the sky and glass surrounding his head shattered. Fuel was leaking and it would only be a matter of time before it exploded.
X
Sakura was thrown into a world of panic when she felt the ship rock violently. Throwing open the door to the infirmary she was greeted with chaos. Bloody men were scattered jumping into lifeboats or diving into the sea. Dead bodies were strewn around a destroyed Japanese plane.
"What the hell just happened?"
"Some psycho Japanese pilot just suicide bombed his plane. Fuel is all over the plane and this ship is going to blow any minute!"
Sakura started running towards the nearest lifeboat before she halted abruptly. What if it's Deidara? Turning and running against the pushing mob Sakura ran towards the smoking plane not caring if she was soiling her pristine outfit. Catching sight of blonde and bloody hair Sakura felt the air knocked out of her lungs. Racing towards the shattered cockpit she saw Deidara slumped over.
"No, no, no, no, no! Deidara can you hear me? You cannot die on me! Why the hell would you do something that stupid? Come back to me Deidara, you can't leave me alone like this!"
Broken glass jabbed into her knee and tears streaked her face. "It was never supposed to be like this Deidara! You promised me!"
A mangled hand came up and stroked her cheek. "I love you Sakura. And I'll love you in the next life."
X
Deidara thought he saw an angel. He wasn't that far from the truth. He caught an eyeful of pink and felt himself heaved up into a sitting position. She was always strong. He heard her sobs that racked her petite body. No matter how much energy he could muster he couldn't say anything. His vision was covered with his own blood. This thing is about to blow sky high, she can't stay here! His body refused to move. All he could do was say something to comfort her. Bringing his hand up he caressed her cheek; he was too tired to do anything else.
"I love you Sakura. And I'll love you in the next life."
X
"The USS Bunker Hill was heavily damaged by a kamikaze pilot."
"How many casualties Kakashi?"
"Unconfirmed."
"What do you have confirmed?"
"One Japanese pilot and a medic. Ours."
"Thank you Kakashi. You are dismissed."
"Thank you Tsunade. I'm sorry you lost your apprentice."
"Don't worry about it Kakashi. Back to your duties."
Swiveling around after Kakashi had left Tsunade let out a shaky sigh. Tears spilled from her eyes. "Sakura, why must fate be so cruel? Duty before death is such a painful ordeal."
July 4, 2014
Deidara watched the booming fireworks illuminate the inky night. It was yet another unsuccessful date with yet another girl. A void gnawed away at his heart, filling it with an unavoidable emptiness. No matter how many girls he dated none seemed to satisfy him.
Another firework lit up the sky with its spectacular design. Etched into his memory was pale skin and pink hair, but who in the right mind would possess pink hair? An ear shattering boom signaled the coming end of the show. Turning to walk home and wallow about his pitiful love life, the last firework brightened the sky that left Deidara unhappy. Turning in the last light of the firework Deidara's breath evaporated.
Pale skin, emerald eyes, and pink hair. The woman gazed starstruck at the sky as the firework died. Sighing she closed her eyes and dreamily smiled. Deidara couldn't help but stare. When she opened her eyes they made eye contact. Startlingly blue met clear green.
Cautiously approaching the girl Deidara stopped in front of her. She looked equally mesmerized.
"Hi, um, I'm Deidara yeah." A spark of recognition and eagerness lit up her eyes.
"I'm Sakura. I feel like we've met somewhere before." Her voice sent a jolt through Deidara. They sounded like the sweet wind chimes his mother used to hang in the summer breeze.
"Do you believe in reincarnation yeah?"
A/N: So this was a little plot bunny floating around in my head after watching a documentary WWII when I was supposed to be studying for finals. This isn't completely historically accurate but if you want to check out more about Kamikaze, you can learn more about it by Googling it. I'm really sorry if I offended anyone with this fanfiction but I thought this was something that many people don't hear about when we say WWII so I decided to write about it.