Chapter One: Kidnapped
I've been living alone for years in Getsukagure. That's the village hidden under the moon. It isn't mentioned much, but that's because it's typically peaceful here. It in the land of the moon, but that was EXTREMELY obvious. I don't really fit in in getsu. I'm not as calm as I should be. I did make it to chunin level as a ninja, though, so I guess I'm not too bad. Anyways, I've been living in a nearly abandoned apartment since I was 7. This is because all of my relatives were dead, and my last relative, my great aunt, had just died. Death seems to follow me. My name is Youko Banshun. My first name means sunshine, or light, and my last name means late spring. I'm about 17 years old with shoulder length mud brown hair, which is usually kept up in a ponytail. I also have violet eyes. Which, in my mind, clashes with the muddy hair. I'm getting off subject, aren't I? Well, it's a habit. So, where was I….oh, yeah. My relatives are dead, I'm living alone, had to get a job at 7, blah blah blah. So, it's been about 10 years, and I'm living in an apartment, not earning much from missions, and never going out to eat, even though my stove can't cook burnt toast. Yes, I know you can't cook burnt toast anyhow, but it was a good metaphor. Off subject again, right? I told you this was going to happen.
So I've just gotten home from a mission, an A-rank one, mind you, and I was pretty damn tired. So it didn't help at all when after I checked the fridge (empty, as usual) someone leaped out at me and I was bound and gagged. Which wasn't very fun, and I didn't fight back because of the tiredness, and the fact that there was chloroform on the rag they used to knock me out before they gagged me. I was confused to why this was happening; I wasn't anyone special, just your average jonin, not to mention a misfit one, at that. I wasn't anyone they could take hostage and expect a ransom for. I definitely wouldn't be missed. So I was confused. But I didn't have much time to be confused, because the chloroform kicked in, and I was out like a light.
I slipped in to consciousness when I was being slung across a shoulder, but it didn't last long. I really didn't wake up until several hours after I was dumped on the hard floor of a cave.
When I woke up, I expected to be in my bed and the shoulder thingy to be a hallucination. Boy was I wrong. I woke up on a cold, hard, possibly moldy cave floor. When the two figures guarding me saw me start to wake up, though, I got more chloroform. I was knocked out for a couple more hours, and didn't notice when I was moved to a nice room down the stairs from the cave. When I woke up this time, I knew it wasn't a dream. There also wasn't anyone guarding me this time. So I was alone. I should be used to it, but I hate being alone. At least when I was at home, I could look at pictures, or go outside and talk to someone. And loneliness is even worse when you're kind of numb, half asleep, and confused. But I didn't have to wait long for someone to come in. Or should I say, some figure. The figure just darted in with some food, saw that I was waking up, set the food down, and rushed out. I stared at the pancakes and bacon like it was solid gold. I hadn't eaten food since what felt like the day before. Unless the figures had been spoon-feeding me or something while I was out of it. Well, anyway, it was very nice of them to bring their captive such great food!
I ate the food in seconds, due to the fact that I was ravished. When another figure came to take my dishes, I said thanks, and they seemed surprised. Then I heard them chuckle. "Well, you're the politest captive we've ever had, I think, un." said the figure. I think I blushed. Which was kind of strange, because that might not have been a compliment. But, I was used to making insults into compliments. And it WAS a nice thing to say. With that and the food, it came to mind that they were the politest kidnappers ever! I told the figure that, and he laughed again, slightly louder than before. The figure apparently thought I was funny. I had only one thing to say, "Hey, Mr. Figure-mc-Bob, can you step out of the shadows and tell me your name, because calling you THE FIGURE is getting troublesome to think." That comment was another thing that I just blurted out, and it also was found amusing. He stepped out of the shadows and revealed himself to be an androgynous teenager with long blond hair. Most of it was kept in a ponytail, but some bangs fell over one of his eyes, while the other was a nice-ish blue color. He said his name was Deidara. "Well, that's a nice name! Much better than THAT FIGURE GUY." He actually clamped his hand over his moth this time to stop the giggling, but it was strange because he did it with the palm facing me. And on his palm was a hand. I stared at it while he was laughing. I think I remembered this guy from one of those notices. Wasn't he an Akatsuki member or something? Well, I couldn't remember, so I just sat there. "Hey, Is there anyone else here, or just you, Dei-kun?"I asked. "At the moment, it's only me and Sasori-no-Danna, un" he replied. "Ooh, who's THAT?" "My Akatsuki partner, un. He's the one sitting over there in the corner not helping me take care of the captive. Say hi Danna, un!" "No, brat." came a voice from the corner. I looked over and saw some guy sitting in an extremely realistic puppet. I could tell it wasn't him because of the bulk and texture. I'm really good at recognizing puppets, because I worked in a workshop as one of my jobs. "Hey, Sasori-no-Danna, why are you in a puppet? Can I see what you look like, too?" I asked. He seemed surprised for a moment that I'd seen through his disguise. Then he regained his cool. "No." he was extremely blatant about it. So I asked Dei-kun, "Can YOU get him to come out? I really do want to see my captors. I don't hold grudges; I just want to get to know you better." "Nah, I don't think he'll come out, un." Dei replied. "Hmm. Can you do something so I can try to get him out; I'm pretty good at that stuff." "Sure, I can do a different binding, un. But I don't think you'll be able to get him out." He did something to my handcuffs, and I walked up to the puppet. I studied it. Scorpion tail, hidden weapons, a couple of basic death traps. Seemed easy. I walked up and hugged the puppet at the pressure point, and the bindings were released. And inside of the puppet there was an extremely beautiful teenage boy puppet. I was confused because there didn't seem to be a puppet master, just another realistic puppet. But then the puppet turned its head and gave me an annoyed look. ON ITS OWN. Then it started talking. "How the hell did you get through my defenses that easily?" He was still pretty calm looking. Heavy lidded brown eyes, nice, slightly messy, red hair. A mouth curved into something almost resembling a frown, but still pretty straight. I just gawked at his question. He looked annoyed and turned away, starting to fiddle with a spare arm.
Soon after 'Sori-no-Danna turned away, I started to chat with Dei-Kun. The conversation went kind of like this;
"Hey, Dei-kun?"
"What, un?"
"Do you like toast?"
"Sure, un."
"What kind of toast do you like?"
"Uhhhh, rye, un?"
"Hmmm. I like cinnamon raisin swirl!"
"Oh, that sounds good, un! Where do you get it?"
"Oh, well, in getsu, y'kow the place you kidnapped me from, there's a grocery store called Moon Market of Getsu, and it sells all sorts of stuff! There's also a bakery downtown, but it's extremely expensive."
"Really? Hmm, I should ask leader-Sama if we can get some, un.'
"Who's leader-Sama?"
"Oh, he's the leader, un!"
"Thanks for pointing out the obvious."
"Well, I don't really know much. He doesn't visit too much, un.
"Hey, what's 'Sori-Danna do?"
"Aw, he's a puppet master, un. He thinks those lifeless dolls are art."
"Really? They're extremely realistic. And It could be art, I guess."
"NO! ART LASTS ONLY A SECOND! ART…IS A BANG!!!!!!"
There then proceeded to be a series of explosions heard outside the door. I wondered if he'd rigged up sound effects. Then I saw him take some clay out of his pouch, feed it to his hand, have the hand hack it up into the shape of a bird, then blow it up with some kind of jutsu. I guess when he said bang, he really meant it. His words and actions really seemed to tick off Sasori-no-Danna, and freaked me out. He walked over to me and whispered, "He really is a fool. Art is eternal, meant to last forever, never fading or dying. Like my puppets. They'll be around much longer than he will." No offenses meant to Dei-kun, but Danna's argument made sense. "You're right. The best kind of art sticks around for hundreds of years after you die. But his art is interesting, too. Very fragile, but extremely powerful as well. But your art seems stronger, more durable, Danna." I really was just happy that he said ANYTHING to me. Before this he was just ignoring me. "Hey, what's your name, anyway? Leader-Sama only gave us a description." OMFG! More words! "Uh, my name's Youko Banshun." I replied. "Nice name" he commented. For awhile after that, we just sat and watched Dei's firework frenzy, sitting together as friends.
Review and Stuff! –Shiori
