N.M. Smith is now working with COTK.

--

She dropped her writing brush onto the table with a soft thunk after cleaning the ink out from the brissles, just having finished writing out a couple treaties with Amegakure, Kusagakure, and Sunagakure. What was going on lately? Was the Tsuchikage going to start a war and needed as many allies as possible? Probably... Cause that was the sixth set she had signed.

She leaned back into her chair with an audible sigh, brushing her long, brown hair out from her eyes,

Kazumi Iwa, daughter of the Tsuchikage and a jounin of the village, glanced to her fellow co-workers in the Land of Stone's, Iwagakure, office with a frown. Not that she didn't expect it though (most shinobi was more work and less social life), but it was kind of sad that she didn't even recieve a small 'happy birthday'.

It wasn't anything big, of course, but it was just one of those little things that made life a more pleasent to be living in... In fact, it was her seventeenth birthday even though she was bored out of her mind to sit here and work on papers her father, Hikuro Iwa, was too 'busy' to do so himself.

Iwa...

Her grandfather had changed his Riguro name to Iwa in respect of the village. Because of it, he had gotten to become Tsuchikage. Her father had inheirited the title after his death and it was to be passed down to her after his own death all because her last name was Iwa. Iwa. Iwa. Iwa. Such a stupid name to be born with...

The door opened and Kazumi prepared for the worst of clients.

But when she saw the blue eye and the blond haired face and the jounin outfit, she couldn't help but to jump out from her chair and greet him with a hug.

"Settle down, Kazumi, yeah!" Deidara weezed with a pained look.

"Hm?" Kazumi quickly let go and studied him with narrowed eyes, "What did you get yourself into this time, Deidara?" She crossed her arms in front of her chest like she always did before he showed her the new series of cuts and brusies and burns.

"I promise it's nothing big this time, yeah," Deidara started, "but the dumbass was too close that I got caught into the blast as well, hm." And with that he unzipped his jacket, tossing it the side, and lifted up the bottom of his dark shirt.

She couldn't help to feel a pang of worry when she saw the raw skin from the aftermath of an explosion. Nothing big... Hell! It was as huge as her head!

"Deidara..." She gave a threatening tone. "If you want anymore of that clay that my father suppiles you with, you will have to pay more attention when I tell you how to work it! Come on... You going to the infirmary."

"But-"

"No buts!"

And she tugged on to his arm to follow after he picked up the vest and when she dismissed herself from the office.

"Explain to me in details on what you did," Kazumi said.

"No, yeah," he paused, "I mean no, yeah. I mean... You know what I mean, yeah!"

Kazumi laughed.

"But if you need any help on getting that repaired, you'll need to tell me exactly what happened." Kazumi said seriously.

"Not unless if you come with me first, hm."

"What? Why?"

"'Cause I want to show you something."

She considered it for a moment. She knew that he hated going to the hospital. Hated was too weak a word to actually use for his case... It was more of like how a cat hated to get wet kind of case. But he wouldn't know what a cat hated or liked: He was allergic to them. He nose would run and his eyes would get red and puffy, and he'd sneeze like there was no tommorrow... She always laughed at him when he got near a cat.

"Okay. Fine."

And this time he took her by the arm.

--

Deidara fiddled with the keys to his appartment door and gave up when it the key wouldn't go in at all. Kazumi took the chain from him and turned the key right-side up and turned the handel, looking up at him with her victorious face.

"Hmph." Deidara was so cute, thought Kazumi, when he pouted. His lip would come out like a puppy and he'd look like a child who was denied candy and was about to make loud noises to make sure that they did get some. She had been surprised, when he first gave her that pout, that he didn't cry.

He went in first, holding the door for her.

"Wait here for a moment, alright, yeah?" He said.

"'Kay." He smiled at her answer, leaving down the hall, and she went to sit on the living room's black couch.

He lived comfortably and clean, Kazumi knew. Wood flooring and walls with dark earth toned furniturne and structures. Deidara also loved art. Art this. Art that. He could hardly shut up about it! Though she just talked back, conversation turning to deep discussions on masterpieces of life and their makers. He fascinated her: No one she knew besides Deidara had ever taken the time to see the world as a canvas as he did.

Her eyes scanned the living room like they always did when she entered him home. It was so soothing to her. Bright green hanging plants dangled their vines from over head, the shades on the light gave a warm glow to the room, and all of the furniture was in a nice arrangement, giving lots of moving space. His personality also striked her dumb. She hadn't met a guy like him that lived in a clean enviroment.

"Kazumi! Close your eyes and come here, yeah!" Deidara's voice came from the kitchen.

"I'm sure I'll bump into things if I close my eyes now." Kazumi teased, "Can I come, then close my eyes?"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, yeah."

And she went down the long corridor, passing his room and the master bath before the turn of the kitchen was before her. She closed her gold yellow eyes then.

Kazumi felt a hand grab hers to pull her into the room farther.

"Open your mouth, yeah."

She was reluctant at first, but when something wet hit her lips, she complied, wondering what it was.

It was sweet, a little bland, but yet it had lot of flavor, like it couldn't make up its mind if it wanted to be delicious or horrible. It broke easily when her tounge crushed it against her roof. Kind of grainy...

She opened her eyes again and looked at him with curiousity. "What was that?" She licked her now sticky lips when he had first held it against her.

"Watermelon, yeah." He replied, turning around to cut up some more of it.

"Watermelon?" Kazumi peered over his shoulder to see a large, what seemed, fruit with a green rine and red flesh.

"It came from Kusagakure. They have extremely excellent fruit there, yeah." Deidara explained. "So I bought this odd looking one. It turned out better than I expected it to be, yeah. How did you like it?"

Kazumi stared at the fruit, "It was great!"

Deidara chuckled at her face, handing her another decent sized cube of melon. "Here."

"Aw! Thanks!" And she readily took it from him with a big grin.

"Count this as your birthday present from me, okay, yeah?" Deidara said, and she paused in mid-chew. Somebody remembered... "I didn't have time to pick up a gift from the store, yeah."

"No! That's alright! I love this! It's great!" Kazumi interjected. It really was the most delicious fruit she had in years! And for someone like Deidara to give it to her on her birthday... It was special to her.

She bit into the fruit again, more of the juice rolling down her chin. It was good, but really juicy. Probably why it was named 'water'melon.

Deidara laughed at her, grabbing a washcloth from the cupboard and running it under warm water. He dabbed it over her face, mainly around the mouth area, but his actions were slowing, and some blush had crept into her cheeks.

"Deidara?" She said softly, not really knowing herself if it was a question.

And then he leaned forward and kissed her, enveloped in the taste and smell of the watermelon fruit.

"Happy birthday, Kazumi, yeah." Deidara said after coming up for air. He handed her another large cube of fruit and she took it again when a huge smile and blush on her face.

"Yeah..." She started, "But now, we're going to the doctor."

"No!" He hissed.