DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto.
The dark damp room echoed around them. As the blonde haired Kunoichi pulled her knees to her chest, shivering as her little amount of purple fabric was just enough to cover her chosen parts. She exhaled a visible cloud of breath. And the shadow leaning in the corner of the same cell, one foot against the wall, lifted his heat.
"Look a..." He paused. "Are you cold?" The tired young woman was silent to the obvious, and instead responded by burying her face in her knees. Her Back up against the damp dirt wall. A few seconds passed and the man took a few steps in her direction removing his long black, red clouded cloak. Then kneeling beside the Kunoichi, wrapped it around her quivering body.
"Listen, uh... Ino isn't it?" He fell back on his bum, one knee sticking up and an arm resting on that. "You don't have to be scared ya'know. At least not of me. They took away all my materials, all my detonating clay." The girl looked up. Not a soul around them, and she grasped the robe, pulling it more snugly around her.
"I'm not scared." She muttered. "Not of you. And not of this place." The other sat with a look of intriguement. "Because I know that I won't die here. My comrades are out their looking for me, and the'll find me I know it."
"Well," he chuckled "At least you know your friends are coming for you. If mine find it easier just to leave me, that's just what they'll do." Ino looked up at the man, his yellow blond hair covering his left eye leaving his right prominent and blue. She didn't say anything. "You know you really should wear more clothes Miss Ino." He chuckled "And that's coming from me."
"Don't insult me!" She snapped "you're the enemy I'm not even suppose to be talking to you!"
"Fine." He puffed. "Then I want my cloak back." As Ino started to remove it, a cold chill gusted in sending shivers down her spine, and she squeezed it around her even tighter. "Haha," He stood and began to amble back to his corner. "Keep it. It's clear you need it more than me. Right now anyways."
"Hey..." She whispered, then her voice grew. "What's your name?" The Stone ninja turned.
"Deidara." He grinned.
"Deidara." Ino repeated. "You're an Akatsuki right?"
"Yeah,"
"Do...do you know where Sasuke is?" She asked with great anticipation.
"Aaahhh come on," he collapsed all his weighed against the stone wall. "Not this again,"
"What?!"
"Another one of Sasuke's fan girls. It's bad enough being in an organization with his older brother, who for your information is superior in every way. You know, I almost killed Sasuke once-"
"That's okay." She somberly interrupted. "I didn't think so." And she returned to her position of nudging her eyes to her knees.
"Look uh, if you don't mind my asking, what do you and all those other Leaf ninja find so appealing about him anyway? Wouldn't you have gotten over him by now?" Deidara asked.
"Because... He IS one of us leaf ninja." Ino lifted her head. "He is one of us and..."
"And?"
"And I've been in love with him since as long as I can't remember."
"Hmmm..." Deidara hummed. "Really? You still love him after all the shit he's done to the Hidden Leaf Village, all the hell he's put you through?"
"I can't forgive him for all those things he's done. That's why I know we can never really be together."
"Then take my advice." The Akatsuki moaned. "Give up on him. He's never coming back."
"How can you say that?!" She stood, the black enemy robe still draped over her. "How do you know someone who has been forgiven like Sasuke will never come back?!"
"Because I never went back either..." The room grew silent. "And I'm sure there are a lot more happy people waiting for me with open arms. 'Brother Deidara', that's what they call me. And don't fool yourself, Sasuke won't ever be welcomed back, maybe by you and a few other naive Shinobi who think that repentance is payment enough for ones crimes, but if he is ever dragged back there, to that damned Village. What's waiting for him won't be a welcome banner, but a jail cell and a long interrogation. He'll never again see the light of day."
With all of The young Yamanaka's anger an fury, she just didn't have the power right now to fight back. And instead, fell back down to her knees and started to cry. Deidara, now feeling like the jerk he was, started to feel remorseful. And he tip toed back over to the young girl.
"Hey listen, don't cry. I uh didn't mean it like that." He lied. "I mean, what I said was completely valid, but I admit the delivery was a bit harsh."
"I'm not crying because of what you said!" She bursted.
"Well aren't you moody." He sassed. "Don't forget, if you are interested I mean, remember... I do have three tongues." The sarcastic yet seductive tone almost mocked her.
"Look, just don't talk to me any more, okay?!" Ino turned to face the wall, away from the young Akatsuki.
"Hey I'm just bored, three days in this mud whole stuck with a little girl hasn't got me in the greatest mood. Talking to you isn't getting us anywhere. What else are we gonna do to pass the time?"
Still she continued to say nothing. And for a long moment it stayed that way. Then Deidara reached down into the dirt floor, and picked up a clunk of red gooey substance. Then the glob disappeared into his palm. After a few minutes of a low chewing sound he walked over to Ino, crouched and held out his hand. Curling back his fingers he revealed to her a clay flower.
"Don't be so down all right? It's making me sick." Then placing it at her feet he stood to walk off again.
"Wait." She called. "...Thank you."
"Sure thing."
"...are... You cold too?" Ino whispered and the surprised foe looked curiously at her.
"Doesn't matter, like I said, you need it more than I do."
"We can share. Shinobi Survival tactics state that when no heat source can be found, the Shinobi in need of it must bundle together to share body heat." She stated, peaking the Stone Ninja's interest even further. And with this he sat next to her, opening the large cloak he not only grabbed it, but then wrapped his arm around her, pulling her in closely to his chest.
"Like this?" He teased.
"Yes." She whispered.
And after what seemed like no time at all, he turned to her, leaving not even an inch between their faces and squeezed her tightly. His eyes blue like the sky, hers like the deep ocean during a storm. And there was no resistance when he leaned in even further to press his lips firmly up against hers.
That morning, a noise woke the pair in a frantic. Ino poked her head out from under the Black cloak with red clouds and finished buttoning the top of her shirt. Deidara too leaped up, throwing his robe back on and quickly tying his hair back up in a pony tail.
"Who is it?" Deidara whispered to his cellmate, buttoning his pants.
"Not sure." She peeped out the tiny opening in the metal door. "Not our allies..." She frowned "well, my allies anyway."
"Really, they actually came for me?" Deidara cracked a surprising joyful grin. "Tobi my man, you came through after all."
"It doesn't look like they are your friends either." His smiled fell off and the figure came around the corner. It was the man who put them in here. And both the pony tailed, one eyed blonds grimaced under their breath.
"Kabuto Yakashi."
"Deidara, I have a plan." Ino took a few steps back, the light coming through the slot framing her eye perfectly.
"I don't take orders from you..." He groaned.
"Look, we may not be on the same team, but we are in the same boat. We can escape together." Deidara perked his head up. "Well, at the same time anyway."
"Fine. What's this plan of yours?" He asked grabbing up two handfuls of clay, knowing that he would need some.
Finally the silver haired four eyes appeared. And just as he was passing by their cell. Ino yelled.
"NOW DEIDARA!"
And raising two fingers to his lips the ground beneath Kabuto became soft.
"What's this?" Kabuto expressed. "Clay?"
"Chakra infused clay..." The Young Akatsuki corrected. For now the snake was immobile, and Ino held out both her hands, framing the enemies face.
"Ninja Art, mind transfer Jutsu."
Ino's body suddenly became lifeless, and it fell to the cold floor.
"Oh that's what you meant by 'catch me.'" Deidara said to himself. And Kabuto suddenly took out his set of keys.
"Release your jutsu Deidara. It's me Ino, my mind transfer was successful."
"How do I know that Ino didn't miss and thats really Kabuto?" Said the sceptic.
"Would Kabuto know that the mouths on your hands aren't just skilled at justu?" She smirked.
"Oh geez I hope not... I don't even wanna think about that." Deidara groaned.
And with this he let him go, allowing him to unlock the door.
"Bring my body out too." She said and he picked up the limp purple blob and walked out the open door. Kabuto's body then walked in with the force of Ino. And shut the door on himself. She then pointed his hands at her body in Deidara's arms and released her jutsu.
She came to life in the Akatsuki's arms.
"Thanks Deidara." She smiled.
"Yeah yeah... Don't mention it." He set her down a bit forcefully on the ground. "Now, lets get the hell outta here."
And the two started running down the long hallway. Using his camera in his left eye, Deidara looked further ahead.
"There's the exit!" And the pair finally made contact with sunlight for the first time in nearly four days.
"Ino!" A familiar voice called.
"Choji!" She responded with excitement. "Naruto, Sakura, Sai, Shikamaru!" She smiled in glee at all who came to retrieve her.
'But where...' Deidara thought, as his assumptions about his team leaving him for dead became a reality.
"Ooooh Deeeiidaaraaaaa!" A silly voice came from a spiraled orange mask. "I brought your pouch of detonating clay!" And he tossed it down to him.
"Tobi, my man. It's good to see you." A sinister grin reclaimed the Akatsuki's face. And a giant bird appeared from his hand. Then flying away he looked back at the girl with which he was held prisoner. And she stared back at him with wide sad puppy eyes. Longing. But he just chuckled and called down to her.
"Sorry doll, I guess it just wasn't meant to be." And both he and his partner flew off through the trees. Leaving behind the leaf and its Shinobi.
"Deidara..." Ino sighed.
"Ino! Are you hurt?!"
"No. Lets go home."