The Stem of All Heartbreak

Descr: There is no root of all Evil – there are many roots, all leading towards different destinations. Some roots are about to blossom, and some seeds are about to sprout.

Warnings: it's mainly a DeiSaku fic with other random pairings, including a sorta 4-way pairing between Naru, Sasu, Sai, and Saku (with a lot of one-sideness), a past DeiSaso (yup, Dei's bi) and other more permanent pairings later on like NaruHina (maybe – I'm not much past this yet ). There will definitely be violence though, and most likely lemons since at least 2 people get pregnant. Oh yeah, and yaoi, but some hetero couples too.

Anyways, takes place about 2 years from the start of Shippuden – after Sasuke left of course, and after Dei "died." The plot will really start next chapter though, if anyone reviews this (which I will love them for!). Anyone who critiques, rates, or reviews will be my all time fav person ever!

Prologue/Chapter 1:

A feminine-looking man, who would kill you for such a comment, sat precariously upon a strange-looking bird, which hovered above a small city. The city appeared to be in the middle of nowhere, possibly a tradesmen's town or a market villa. The young man smirked at it, almost sneered, as he motioned the bird to fly downward.

Landing before the town, just outside of its main gate, the flier was approached by a man and a woman, both armed in civilian armor. The glares which they gave him were commanding, but the blonde sensed that they were afraid. One of the guards was shaking profoundly, while the other refused to make eye contact.

"State y-your name," the first guard ordered, acting brave in spite of her stutter. "And your re-reason for be-being here," the guard continued, maintaining a solid face. Looking at that face, the man realized something strange.

Damn, he thought quite merrily. Not only civilian guards, but blind ones?

With a laugh, the man replied, "Name's Deidara, yeah, and you know that. I'm here, because I'm done with my mission. I want my pay, un, and I want it now."

"Have you the scroll?" the second guard asked. He was still avoiding Deidara's eyes. Deidara cocked his head, and raised a brow. "Of course I do, un. Here."

Deidara handed the guard a brown scroll, which both guards stared at for a long moment. Almost warily, the guard placed it on a ledge, while nodding towards his counterpart. They should be nervous, Deidara thought smugly. That scroll, after all, is about to explode. Should make the town a pretty color – these two will soon be art.

"My pay?" Deidara asked again, suddenly excited to see the show.

At his question, the second guard looked up, locking eyes with Deidara, viciously. "Why, of course," he smoothly stated. "We'll be paying for your jail cell."

But Deidara hadn't heard him - he'd been too surprised at what he'd seen. So surprised, he'd fallen over, onto the ground in a hysterical heap.

TWO blind guards? he thought while laughing. Oh this is rich, this is great! Two blind civilians against an ex-Akatsuki, a master artist, an elite assassin! How in the world can they take me on? The world's number one -

"Cocky bastard."

Wait. What?

"What did you say," he suddenly asked, all humor leaving his voice. He stood up, but it was too late. In an instant, both guards had attacked him.

Guess they're not blind, he thought as he dodged. Or civilian, he thought as he punched. Whoops, he thought as he blocked. Guess I was the blind one here.

"Deidara of the Stone," spoke the male guard (as Deidara questioned, is he a guard?). "You are wanted for crimes against the Leaf, the Stone, and the Sand. You are charged with murder, an attempted assassination of the Kazekage, tr –"

"But that was two years ago!" interrupted Deidara, still evading the duo's attacks. Casting him an angry look, the male continued. "Treason, theft, association with the murderous group Akatsuki –"

"So what, un? I'm guilty by association!?" barked the blonde. Fuming, the brunette continued (once more). "No, you are guilty for the various crimes which you committed while a member."

"Oh."

"You have numerous other charges against you. Will you come quietly?"

Deidara rolled his eyes. "Of course I won't, dumbass. That's why I'm fighting you right now!"

The guard turned scarlet red, and his strikes became quite quicker. He stepped back a second, as if to retreat, but instead took up a stance, and loudly said, "256 pal-"

"Neji, no!"

The girl had interrupted him, and at the same time, flipped away from Deidara. "Remember, we need him alive," she told Neji, as Deidara reached into his clay pouch. Noticing the movement, Neji snarled. "Yes, Hinata, and you just let him escape." Before they could stop him, his bird had been made, and with a smirk, Deidara was gone.

"It's been fun," he said with a grin, forming the hand signs he knew so well. The two below him looked in horror, as the brunette slightly switched his stance. "In fact, it's been a bomb!" laughed Dei, his fingers forming the last shape. "Katsu," he said maniacally, as his bird flew slightly higher.

The explosion below was beautiful – a mix of colors, sound, and heat. But in an instant, the beauty stopped, to be replaced by a pain even Deidara, a masochist, hated. "What the hell, un?!" he had time to whisper, as he saw his glorious masterpiece backfire. From the corner of his eye, he saw a white sphere – it appeared to be pushing the explosion upwards, away. Towards him.

The bird below him melted, and he felt his body burn. A horrible memory came back to his mind– that time he had almost died. That time when he had exploded, and only survived because of his Danna. It had felt a lot like this, but back then, he hadn't cared. Back then, he had wanted death.

Not now, the blonde thought defiantly. I can't die so undistinguished! My art is not yet done – HIS art is not even close!

But it seemed that the blonde would die, quite inartistically, as he descended towards the earth. So, he prepared to meet his end, regretting it had come. Well, I guess that art is fleeting, Dei thought sadly to himself. I guess that life is too. One day you have it, next it's gone.

Deidara closed his eyes, deciding that poor art did not deserve to be seen, nor to see. So when he felt hands engulf him, almost embrace him, he assumed that they belonged to some devil. He assumed that he was dead, and that he had gone to Hell, like he deserved. But in his heart, he hoped, he wished, that those hands belonged to his Danna.

But these feel nothing like Danna's hands, he thought, a grim expression attacking his face. So I guess this means I'm in Hell. What a fun time this'll be.

Then again, he thought with new hope, Maybe this means I'm not even dead! After all, he started to smirk,

I doubt that devils wear lotion.

Disclaimer: decided to put it here since I had too much already at the top. I don't own Naruto, or any characters from that show, but one day I will hehe

Wowz. This hurt my hands. I admire you veteran writers a LOT right now. So what did you think? Please tell me! I wrote a story once before and no one responded – but I kept getting hits so Idk if that's good or not – please help a fellow writer and critique so I know whether to keep on trying xx

3s LM