Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
Leviathan
CHAPTER ONE
"Alright." I take a deep, shuddering breath. "My turn."
I look around carefully, before placing a cautious foot inside the circle. The meadow of dandelions and green grass seems to crackle with electricity, but nothing else happens.
Ever so hesitantly, I slowly begin to maneuver the rest of me inside the circle, where everyone else is already waiting.
Once safely inside and no casualties are observed, I breathe out in relief, my shoulders sagging, and I flop onto the grass in a heap. My eyes automatically close and I feel like an immense weight is lifted off my shoulders.
"Was that really so hard, yeah?" a voice says in amusement above me. My eyelids open of their own accord, fluttering when the bright rays of sunlight hits them directly.
Deidara stands above me, hands on his knees, an earsplitting grin on his face. I notice that his palms and knees are coarse with dirt, as if he had been rolling on the ground for no apparent reason to keep himself entertained while I took an eternity getting through the barriers.
"Oh, shut up," I groan, rolling over to one side, blocking out the rays of the blistering sun. "It's my first time, okay? You can't blame me for being scared."
Deidara snorts. "I was a full two years younger than you when I first crossed the Leviathan, yeah."
"No need to rub it in," I say bitterly. I knew I was a late bloomer; Identities (which is what you call our race) were usually summoned to cross the Leviathan at the age of thirteen, and I was sixteen at the moment. That, plus my pink hair basically confirmed my status as the tribe's resident laughing stock.
Deidara himself was summoned at fourteen, which was the latest summoning possible for normal Identities. But it was unheard off, for the summoning to be put off for three entire years.
Because of all this, I was pretty much shunned by nearly every person in my tribe, except for a select few (my parents and my dog Holmes), until my parents passed away and Holmes was sold to a neighboring family.
Deidara wasn't from our tribe, actually. He was from the Northern Tribe, which was just past the Leviathan. You see, crossing the Leviathan was like an initiation test for young Identified adolescents. If you passed, then you became an adult, in the legal sense of the word (because Deidara was most certainly not mature in manner or in thought).
Our Southern Tribe and the Northern Tribe aren't on good terms. Trade was really the only thing keeping us from unleashing an all-out war. When Southern Identities had to go through their summoning, they were never allowed to go any further than that patch of strawberries just a few meters away from the oak tree, the marking for where the Southern Tribe's region started. The strawberry patch was the marking for the Northern Tribe.
So you could say the Leviathan was pretty much the only connection the two tribes had. Which meant that what I planned to do right now was strictly forbidden, punishable by death.
Escaping the Southern Tribe, and starting my life anew in the Northern.
Crazy? Maybe. Risky? Definitely. Dangerous? Hell yeah.
But who knows. Maybe in the Northern Tribe I'll actually have something to call home for once - or at least, a home I'll be able to keep long enough until the Southern Tribe hears of my betrayal and sends their top dogs to hunt me down.
Not a pleasant thought, is it?
"Come on, yeah," the frisky blonde pipes from above, and I am startled back into reality. "Itachi's getting real impatient!" At this, I immediately get up, with Deidara's help. No one wanted to get Itachi Uchiha angry - not even Deidara, who solely existed to aggravate every person on the planet (which, unfortunately, included myself), had the guts to get on Itachi's bad side, although he frequently badmouthed him whenever he had the chance (whenever Itachi wasn't looking).
Deidara and I approach the group of good-looking men huddled impatiently near the strawberry patch. I'd never seen one like it before; what I could remember of its taste were from the small packs of strawberries sold in the marketplace, where the Northern Tribe dealt their goods. This was when my parents were still alive, and my life wasn't as meaningless as it was now. Even then, strawberries were expensive, and though I only ate two of the red berries, they were the most delicious I'd ever eaten in my life. Seeing an entire patch of them now made my mouth water and salivate, if you could imagine.
"Deidara, Sakura." A man with long, dark hair tied in a pony tail at the base of his neck beckons to us, motioning for us to come join them. Deidara and I obediently follow Itachi's orders, and I quicken my pace a little.
Tobi, a hyper young man with a strange orange mask covering his face, bounds towards us, excitement practically radiating off his form. "Sakura-chan, Deidara-sempai!" he squeals, enveloping the both of us in a big hug. This is common occurrence for me, as Tobi regularly feels the need to 'remind everyone that Tobi loves them!' and it just so happens that Deidara and I are frequent victims of his attacks of love.
I have become used to them, although I'm sad to say this is different for Deidara.
"Tobi, you freak!" he shouts, struggling to get away from his hold, but Tobi's grip is too strong. I would have found this strange, since Tobi looks quite a deal weaker than his blonde friend, but I guess it never really mattered to me. I stand there, uncomfortably squished in between the two of them, patiently waiting until Tobi lets go.
He does, eventually, blissfully unaware of the glares Deidara sends his way. I giggle a little, before joining the others at the strawberry patch.
"So..." I mumble, feeling everyone's gaze on me. I've never handled being in the spotlight too well, and their stares are starting to make me feel nervous. I cough awkwardly. "So... how does this work, exactly?" I murmur, staring longingly at a particularly delicious, juicy-looking strawberry. Mm. That looks good.
"Do we like, go through a portal or something?" I ask, still eyeing that beautiful red berry. Maybe if I ask, they'll let me pick a few to eat on the way to Northern Tribe territory...
I'm distracted from my (gluttonous) musings when a loud laugh rings through my ears. I look up to see Kisame, a gargantuan of a man, with blue skin and looks befitting a shark (most peculiar, but then again, I've got pink hair, so I'm not one to talk). He grins at me, black beady eyes glinting with mischief. "A portal? Seriously, squirt? You think Northern Tribe's some kinda sci-fi city or somthin'?"
I huff, brows furrowing. Wasn't it though? I always thought my Southern Tribe a medieval village compared to the splendor of the North. Though I may not look it, I've got extra-sharp senses (might as well label me a mutant and get it over with, huh) and my incredibly good hearing comes in handy when eavesdropping. Then again, the female species that inhabit the Southern don't make it a very difficult feat either.
I manage to hear about many different things happening in the village, especially those concerning the North. I'd been planning to make an escape for a while now, though I'd never had an opportunity quite like this ever show up before me. Come to think of it, how I'd met Deidara and the others was quite unusual in itself.
Anyways, according to the village girls in the South, the North was easily titled the 'city of magic.' I was quite sure they were advanced in technology, farther than us, I bet. I'd heard stories of magic doors that slid apart when you stepped close enough to it; of strange, mechanical animals that beeped and ran on the energy from the sun; of magic boxes where tiny people dance and sing.
It all seemed like crazy talk to me at first, but anything was better than the hellhole I lived in.
Southern Tribe was more of a prison camp than a village of people. Villagers lived in small tents and survived on fishing, hunting, trade. It was surprising, to say the least, that it hadn't been overpowered by the North yet. I'd been wondering that myself; what did the Southern Tribe have that was dangerous enough to keep the North from trampling on us like ants beneath their feet?
I hadn't the slightest idea. But it must be damn powerful.
"Aren't you coming, Sakura-chan?" Tobi peers at me curiously. While I was caught up in my thoughts (again), the others have seemed to have discussed a course of action. Sasori, the redhead with inhumanely pretty, slightly child-like features, has somehow managed to conjure a large pod-like structure, that connects to smaller ones through near invisible strings. At first glance, they didn't look like they would be able to attach themselves to the pods for very long, but I knew Sasori, and the strength of his puppet strings, made out of something called chakra (I'll be told more on that later on, when we arrive in the North and are deemed safe for the time being; at least, that was what Deidara told me) were pretty much indestructible.
There are enough pods for each of us, and naturally, Sasori himself takes the largest, it being the center brain controlling the tinier, insignificant parts that do nothing but enjoy the ride. Kisame hoists me up into one of the pods and not so subtly comments on my weight. My foot plants itself on his face beautifully as I carry myself past the last few inches that separate me from my attachments to my old tribe.
And honestly, I am glad to go.
The giant pod that I am currently residing in is quite comfortable. Its cushioned padding seems like it were made especially to accommodate my backside (which is something I will never repeat to anyone, ever again). The pod itself though is round and sturdy. It closes itself when I enter it, and I am startled when a voice resounds through the pod.
"We of Plasma Corps thank you for choosing ArachnaPods as your method of transportation. Please settle back into our custom made-"
I look around, eyes wide, in search of the person carrying the annoyingly perky voice, when I overhear Deidara whining through the intercom (which was where the perky voice, I discover, also came from).
"Can someone ask Kurenai to stop with the automatic welcoming party when we step inside this damn thing, yeah? I'm sick of hearing Ami's nasal voice every time I need go to Central to buy more clay."
We can hear each other over these things? I attempt to listen some more. The frequency is low, but Deidara's voice stands out among the fuzzy noises, his own being loud and brash. Very Deidara. "And why does danna get to pilot all the time, yeah? You never let me be the manipulator. Never."
"That's because the last time we did, you ended up crashing the SquidPods into the Great Lake," another voice says this time. Kakuzu. "Sasori is the best manipulator out of all of us, myself included," he adds a little grudgingly.
I decide this is time enough to ask a few questions. "Hey-" I clear my throat, hoping to be heard over Deidara's protests. "Hey, can you guys hear me?"
"We fucking well can!" Hidan's arrogant voice pipes up, causing a frown to form on my face.
"Jackass," I mutter, and it's clear that the others have heard it, by the sound of Kisame and Deidara's guffawing. I even manage to hear something that I imagine sounds a little bit like what Itachi would have sounded like if he were chuckling right now.
But that's impossible. This was Itachi I'm talking about.
"Where are we?" I ask curiously, speaking into the little microphone attached to the intercom.
"We're riding the Tarantula, baby!" Deidara announces proudly. "The latest, fastest ever means of transportation you'll ever experience in your life, yeah."
I blink, still not understanding.
Itachi sighs. "The ArachnaPods are the latest among the series of 'Beastia' - the often used means of transportation in the North. These are machines such as the one we are riding in, that are combined with fabricated DNA of animals. In this case, we are riding the ArachnaPods, which, obviously, are derived from the DNA of a spider. A tarantula, like what Deidara said."
Wow. My tribe really is slow on progress, huh? I mean, we're still using stupid things like rocks and spheres to hunt for food, while these guys from the North are using their brains to actually come up with these sorta things that make their lives a damn lot easier.
Itachi is still speaking, for my benefit, since it seems like everyone but myself knows about this already. "There is one pilot for every Beastia, and he controls the entire ensemble. If the pilot, called the 'manipulator' in every sense, falls, then everyone pretty much goes with him. This is why we chose Sasori to be our main manipulator. He is most knowledgeable about mecha, our resident mechanic and whatnot, and an expert in manipulating. Has been for years. Which earns him the nickname of 'puppet master.'"
I am blessed enough to have heard what Itachi's chuckle sounds like. And let me tell you, I swear, there were choirs of angels surrounding the intercom, seriously.
"There is also the fact that it was he who created the designs for each and every Beastia made so far," Itachi comments off-handedly, and I promptly gape.
Sasori? That pretty boy who looks like he could make a living off of being so, so - pretty?
"He - he made all this?"
"You betcha, yeah," Deidara confirms, sounding a little irritated. "Which is why he never lets me manipulate."
"Because he knows you'll crash, like last time," Kisame points out wryly.
"It wasn't my fault!" Deidara protests heatedly, and I can imagine him shaking his blonde head feverishly, because though the pods had windows to see out of, you would only be able to see what you could. There are no video cameras inside. "It was the damn Squid, yeah, it didn't listen to me, and just went and crashed-"
"Excuses, bitch. Shut the hell up." Hidan, of course.
"They can disobey you?" I ask curiously. Who heard of machines that had minds of their own?
"They can if you're sissy gay assholes like blondie over here," Hidan chortles mirthfully. "What kind of fucking animal would like to have a pansy for a master?"
"Why you-"
Itachi, thankfully, cuts them off from our little chat, somehow. "How'd you do that?" I ask curiously.
"Sasori gave me the second in command pod, which allows me to deal with the passengers of the Tarantula, while he takes care of the manipulating. Which means I can do things like cut off intercoms and eject passengers out of their pods."
I can only imagine Itachi's evil smirk at this, and I shudder silently.
I'd never want to get on his bad side, that's for sure.
Before I can ask more questions (God forbid), I feel the sensation of being lifted into the air. Surprisingly, I don't feel the need to throw up. Hm. This is the first time I've ever ridden one of these things, and I suspected I'd feel a whole lot more queasy than this, but I guess not. In fact, I feel rather comfortable. Excited and happy, even. Kind of.
I peer out the window, and the clearing becomes smaller to my eyes. We're rising up into the air, about a hundred feet above the ground, above the treetops and the fields. It's absolutely beautiful, I think in awe. I have no idea what time it is now exactly, but I can tell it's nearing sunset. The sky is turning this kind of lovely orange-pink-red-ish color, and though I can't feel the temperature outside, I'm sure it's getting a little chilly this time of day. The trees, although not resembling toothpicks yet, are definitely smaller than when I was on the ground. There aren't any animals in the Leviathan though, for some reason. I find it kind of sad. Though I'm not exactly a hard core animal lover, a flock of birds or two, maybe some deer and rabbits, would complete this fantastic picture.
Either way, the vast variety of flowers makes up for it. In all the places I've been to (so far - I've no idea about the North), the Leviathan has got some of the most beautiful kinds of flowers in the world. Most I don't even the know the name of! Though that might be only because I have no knowledge whatsoever about flowers. These have got to be the best out there, though. I really can't image how anything could beat this kind of beauty.
All in all, it's a wonderful sight to behold. An oasis, an Eden if you'd like to think it that way.
We remain hovering like this for a few minutes-
"Che," Hidan mutters to himself. I can hear him over the intercom. I suppose Itachi's allowed him access now, huh? "That stupid puppet bastard. Can we get a fucking move on, for Jashin's sake?" he yells a little louder. "Pinky can fucking sightsee some other time, goddammit."
Is he talking about me?
"Shut up, Hidan," Itachi says wearily. It's probably a habit now.
Hidan growls in response. "I want to reach North before next fucking week, thanks. Sasori, stop spoiling the pink midget and fucking move already!"
I hear a slightly embarrassed, yet dignified huff of air, before the craft sails off in a frighteningly fast sort of speed.
Hidan, startled by this abrupt movement, yelps, mouthing off a lot of curse words, some I hadn't even heard of before. I snort. What a potty mouth.
Anyways, I'm settled comfortably in my seat. Hidan's apparently hit his head on something, and is screaming obscenities so loud people in North can hear, so Itachi tunes him out for the sake of our ears.
After a long while, I hear his voice again. "What the fucking hell was that for?"
Sasori's identifiably lazy drawl is heard over the speakers. "You asked for it, dumbass." There's a click that signals he's tuned himself out from all conversation. Before Hidan can take up on his chain of swear words yet again, Itachi tunes him out.
It's only now I recall what Hidan had addressed me as, and I promptly blow up.
"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU JUST CALL ME, YOU FOUL-MOUTHED, SON OF A-"
Click.
Ah. It appears I've just been tuned out.
A/N:
If you're confused, that's alright. Everything will be explained gradually in the upcoming chapters. This is, of course, a MultiSaku. Not just an AkatSaku, mind you. More characters will show up, especially in the next one.
If you've got any questions, feel free to ask. I'll try to answer them best I can. :)