Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Satellite, shine on me tonight.
I will be your gravity. I will stay and never leave.
My satellite, are you here tonight?
Shine your light, and set me free. Take the darkness out of me.
Shine on me.
~Satellite by Starset
Chapter One
Deep in an emerald forest that lies halfway between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind is a narrow trail. The forest is a thick one, and the path is becoming overgrown by foliage, so it can be concluded that this specific location sees few travelers. The last time a person made their way down this deserted trail couldn't have been less than a week ago. Yet, it couldn't have been longer than a month ago, either. The trail certainly sports its share of sprouting grasses, although it serves its purpose.
Making their way through the isolated forest are two men. The man closets to the path's right is of average height and lean, while the one on the left is short and bulky. If someone else happened to be making their way down the trail, it would be clear to that person that the two men are traveling together. Each of them wears identical black cloaks printed with red clouds, as well as the same concealing straw hat with dangling tassels. Chiming can be heard mingling amongst a gentle breeze, most likely due to small bells that are attached to several of the tassels. The chiming is far from loud. It is faint, mysterious, and lingering, similar to the men themselves.
Besides the soft ringing and the gentle breeze, the surrounding foliage is consumed by silence. Even the chattering of rodents and the chirping of birds has vanished, leaving nothing but the duo's dominating presence. They have been traveling for five straight days and suffered a heated battle toward the conclusion of the fourth. There is no doubt that each of them must be tired and that their chakra is running low. Yet the sight of them remains irrevocably sinister. Their unyielding stances induce fear, and their cloaks with the red clouds serve as an ominous reminder of precisely the horrors that the two men are capable of.
Were others around, they would keep their silence in order to maintain the persona that has been attained. However, due to the lack of human life, they allow themselves to bring down their guard. The person who does this first is the shortest of the two, and he does it with a deep, gravelly, voice. Vexation is heard the entire time he speaks, as if he is working desperately to kill a bug, but it continues living despite efforts to destroy it.
"I still can't believe that Lord Pein wanted you to join the Akatsuki. A brat like you doesn't belong here. The mission that we just finished only proves my point. I could have taken out our target by myself without help from anyone."
Beneath the brim of his tasseled hat, the man is revealed to have tan, rough, skin. His eyes are slanted, and the bottom portion of his face is concealed by a piece of loose, black, cloth. The majority of passersby they've come across find his appearance strange, wondering if he is truly a flesh and blood person. Little did any of them know that this is only an outer shell that contains an entire other entity.
Once he is through speaking, the taller man gives a response. However, underneath his hat, it is seen that the word "man" does not accurately describe him. His face is smooth, entirely youthful, and has an almost innocent appearance to it, making "boy" a more suitable term. If someone took time to examine him closely, they would most likely conclude that he is around fourteen years of age. Nonetheless, in spite of his youth, it isn't difficult to tell that the boy is a threat. His narrow blue eyes have a lethal glint to them; one that contains arrogance as well as a hint of insanity.
Raising an index finger bearing black nail polish to his face, he shoves aside a strand of blonde hair while responding to his companion. The boy wears a smug smile.
"I noticed that you've been awfully moody ever since we finished our mission, Sasori my man. At first I thought it was because of chakra exhaustion, but now I know the real reason. You're jealous because I was able to assassinate our target on my own, and it was only my second mission, un." Smirk broadening, he adds, "For my third week in the Akatsuki, I'm not doing too bad."
Once this is said, the isolated trail falls into a state of heavy reticence. Several minutes pass, the gentle breeze and the light jingling of bells the only sounds that waft through the forest. Along with this comes the occasional chirping of a bird. Besides this, not a sound is heard.
It takes what feels like eternity, but at last dialogue fills the air. What's said on Sasori's part is not complex. Nevertheless, the man manages to make his mark.
"Out of all the ninja I've met, none have been as reckless as you. You're going to bomb yourself into an early grave, Deidara."
The young man hesitates momentarily, taking in the remark. Unsurprisingly, it doesn't take long for him to refute this assumption with a shrug of nonchalance.
"Art is a sublime experience that is supposed to last for only a second, un. Living a short and reckless life is far better than an eternal and prudent one. Honestly, I prefer living this way. You never know how a few seconds can change a masterpiece, un. It makes life like a work of art."
Every other time when the two have spoken, this is normally where Sasori would counter Deidara's ideologies. Knowing how many previous conversations have turned out, he should be starting on a tangent about how true art is eternal. Having a masterpiece last forever and be infinitely unchanging are exactly the topics the man should be preparing to broach. However, for the first time since they've met, this discussion doesn't happen. Instead there is a change in the structure of the narrow trail, capturing the attention of both artists.
To most, the transformation of the dirt pathway wouldn't mean much, but for Deidara and Sasori this change is crucial. The trail, which has been long and straight for seemingly endless kilometers, has split into a fork. This is exactly the split that they have been waiting for. Or at least this is true as far as Deidara is concerned. His blue irises fill with a type of exceedingly rare enthusiasm.
Without another word to Sasori, he adjusts his straw hat bearing the hanging tassels and saunters toward the right side of the fork. Sasori, who was slowly inching toward the left path, hesitates to give Deidara a bemused stare. Upon seeing the direction that the blonde is heading, he never wavers in making an inquiry.
"Where are you going? The northeast branch hideout is this way."
Deidara doesn't turn to face him. He gives his partner an explanation as he continues toward the desired pathway.
"I know, and that's why I'm going this way. The northeast branch hideout is where Itachi lives, and I really don't feel like being near him, un. I'm going to restock on detonating clay at this town not too far from here, and then I'm heading southwest to the main hideout. I'll meet you there in a day or two, un."
Most often, in terms of towns, there are only two types. There are large, bustling, towns filled with lively civilians, a variety of shops, and picturesque scenery. Then there are tiny, hinterland, towns that have only the necessary shops, minimal scenery, and everyday people who are simply trying to survive. Very rarely are there towns that meet both standards. Yet, in some locations, these towns do exist. In the Land of Rivers, closer to the Land of Fire's border than the Land of Wind, is a village that goes by the name Chouwa.
Chouwa, while it is a very small settlement with its share of mundane people, manages to be upbeat and lively. The buildings are plain and wooden, but are also kept looking new, and have a unique sparkle to them. With bright flowers planted around every dwelling place, crystal clear waters flowing only a short distance away, and a thicket of lush green trees surrounding the village from all sides, this only adds to Chouwa's exceptional charm. What makes this village all the more attractive to outsiders, however, is the fact that it is home to several rare items that can scarcely be found elsewhere.
One product that is exclusive to Chouwa are special types of candies that can only be created using spices from the forest that directly surrounds the village. Another would be oddly shaped, yet beautiful, glass rocks that are found by the riverbed. Also found by the riverbed, another one of Chouwa's unique assets, is a special type of clay that can be easily infused with chakra. When combined with a person's chakra, the jutsu caster can enable the clay to do impossible things. Glow, move at will, transform into breathing animals, explode; with the clay found by the riverbed inside Chouwa, possibilities for what a jutsu user can do with it are endless.
It is for these reasons that, despite being a backwoods town located in a hard to reach area in the Land of Rivers, the village of Chouwa sees a decent number of visitors. Some civilians despise these visitors, wishing that they would go away so that they can keep to themselves. Others don't have much of an opinion at all about travelers. They come, enjoy the sights, spend money, and leave. Their lives move on with or without tourists.
Then, finally, there are a select few individuals who live for outsiders.
These people would be the ones who have been born, raised, and trapped in this village, and who will most likely never leave. They will get married, raise their children in Chouwa, watch their grandchildren and great-grandchildren grow up in Chouwa, and then die and be buried in Chouwa. They are fully aware of this inevitable fact, whether they accept it or not. Thus, these are the people who work at the shops that sell the specialty candy, the glass rocks, and the clay. Working at these shops enables them to meet the travelers who pass through the village, giving them the taste of the outside world that they crave.
In Chouwa is one girl who fits into the latter category better than anyone. To the dismay of the villagers, but not so much to her own disappointment, she does a very poor job of hiding her infatuation. This girl is bubbly, is employed at Chouwa's candy store to match her enthusiasm, and has grass-colored eyes that never cease to be filled with wonder. At fourteen years old she might seem a bit young to have a job, but nonetheless, she performs her tasks well. This young girl's name is Kaminari.
Dressed in a simple, tan, kimono-style dress with a dark green obi adorning the middle, she dashes around the shop. The cuffs of her forest green pants narrowly miss brushing the floor. Tied over her clothing is a crisp, white, apron, which Kaminari wears proudly as she sweeps the shop's splintering floorboards. The whole time she works the girl scarcely pauses, the only exception being when she hesitates to tuck one of her medium-length, raven, tresses back into her high ponytail. Currently, she works near the candy store's front set of windows, peeking across the street, sweeping, and talking to her coworker behind the counter simultaneously.
"Isn't it great, Fuji?! I've never seen this many travelers come through Chouwa in one afternoon! Today I sold a box of hard candy to a man all the way from the Land of Snow! Ooh, and I also met a woman from Kirigakure! Today has been the best day ever,and it's not even noon!"
Kaminari turns her tall frame at an angle so that she can see her much shorter coworker with the chocolate brown eyes. Fuji is six years older, although it doesn't feel like it most of the time. Especially not when the woman smiles the way she does now.
"You know, I think the day is going just as well for Aimi across the street and for old man Nao's rock shop a few doors down. Every time a tourist comes in here, you tell them to check out the shops that sell the clay and the rocks. Business has to be booming for them both right now!"
The green-eyed girl shrugs while giving a beaming grin. "Well, yeah! I don't want to hoard all the tourists for myself! These guys are all from super far away! They deserve to meet these people!"
Kaminari doesn't see it, but the instant she looks away to return her full attention to sweeping, Fuji's smile fades in displeasure.
"You're definitely obsessed, Kaminari. You should meet a boy. Go on a walk with him, start courting. Focus on something else for a change. Chouwa is a wonderful village and a good place to spend your life. It isn't healthy for you to be so fixated on the outside world."
Her beaming smile never dimming, Kaminari replies in joyful nonchalance. "Everybody has an obsession, Fuji, and interesting people are mine. There are so many people and so many places to discover! Why would I ever want to start dating a boring Chouwa boy and stop meeting travelers?"
Fuji exhales nervously. "But you're so open and so willing to talk to these people! Aren't you afraid that one day you're going to approach the wrong person?"
Tucking another raven lock back into her ponytail, Kaminari takes a moment to stare across the street at the shop that sells their village's clay. The entire time she processes her friend's question, fully intending to answer. However, the answer she was preparing doesn't come. Instead, she finds herself gazing at yet another interesting traveler who walks down the middle of the earthen street. A mysterious man who wears a black cloak spotted by red clouds and a straw hat that shadows his face. She can that tell he is a man in spite of his concealed features, as he saunters in a fashion that is precisely masculine. He moves slowly yet commandingly, as if fully aware that his presence is something formidable.
Due to his odd taste in dress, the fact that he is concealing his features, and his overall lethal countenance, Kaminari knows that she should be quivering fearfully. However, she doesn't. Instead she gapes at him as if trapped in a hypnotic state, a brand of curiosity overtaking her that she hasn't quite felt before. Truth be told, he looks dangerous; like a criminal.
Though she is much farther away from the window than Kaminari, it is apparent that Fuji sees him too, as she unleashes a deafening gasp. There is no denying that the woman is frightened, because it takes less than two seconds for her to rush over to the younger girl and grab her tan-colored sleeve. Once her grip is secure, Fuji drags Kaminari from her place in front of the window to an area safely behind the shop's counter. From here, they are both forced into a crouching position. Only after they're out of the sight of the windows does Fuji speak. The woman sounds terrified.
"No. No, no, no, no, no, no! This isn't happening! Why would one of them come here? To our village?!"
Raising a brow, Kaminari can't help but stare at her oddly. "Fuji? What's wrong? I've never seen you act this jumpy! Normally you're so calm!"
Placing a hand over her mouth, Fuji replies in only the quietest of whispers. Even so, the girl is able to make out what the woman says.
"Kaminari, listen to me, and listen closely. There are some travelers that you don't want to interact with, and this guy is one of them. You see the cloak that he's wearing? Anyone who wears a cloak like his is part of the Akatsuki. The Akatsuki is an organization of S-rank criminals who will destroy anyone or anything that gets in their way. They murder people, Kaminari, and they enjoy it. If you go near him, you're signing your own death certificate." Giving a sigh of mingled fear and desperation, she continues, "Before we come out from behind this counter to continue our work day, you aren't allowed to talk to him, look at him, or even think about him. Do you understand?"
Breaking free from Fuji's grasp, Kaminari gets on her knees to peer over the counter. The man continues sauntering down the street, his black cloak with the red clouds blowing slightly in the breeze as well as the tassels on his straw hat. With the information that has been attained, he appears far deadlier than previous.
Turning by mere centimeters so that he faces their shop at a different angle, the girl catches sight of the minimal blonde strands that break free from his cloak. They, too, are ruffled by the gentle breeze. She gets a small glimpse beneath the rim of his hat, noticing a slim nose and the shadow of a smirk. Similar to the rest of his appearance, the smirk is one that appears dangerous and mysterious. Yet, it also contains a hint of smugness, which Kaminari finds oddly alluring.
It takes several seconds, but at last the girl responds to her coworker. Though she speaks these words with her mouth, Kaminari doesn't feel that she truly means them. For some reason, as strange as it is, it almost feels like she's betraying herself.
"I understand, Fuji. I won't go near him."
Traveling the shinobi nations as a member of the Akatsuki has been an interesting experience for Deidara. In some villages, nobody gives him or Sasori a second glance. People pass them by nonchalantly, not knowing who they are or having any inkling that they should be afraid. In other villages, however, Deidara finds it surprising that warning sirens don't blare and that the entire populace doesn't head toward the town panic shelter. The village that he is in currently, one that he has been to frequently though never as an Akatsuki, would be the latter type of village.
The blonde-haired boy makes his way down the center of the earthen street; a street that he has traveled down multiple times. A minute prior, everything was bustling. People were walking in and out of shops, children were playing, and friends were greeting each other. Then, the instant his cloak came into view, he was gawked at in shock previous to every breathing organism dashing inside the nearest building. Generally, Deidara doesn't mind this. It makes him feel overwhelmingly powerful to have so many react this way to his presence. Not to mention that it amuses him. If this town was actually one of his targets and not his clay supplier, do they honestly think that hiding would stop him from killing them? It's a ridiculous notion, really.
Right now, however, Deidara doesn't feel the amusement that he has grown accustom to. Rather, his only emotion is aggravation. All he wanted to do was purchase his clay, like always, and leave. If every shop has barred their doors, then how is he supposed to buy his detonating clay? Giving a weighted sigh at this pesky thought, Deidara shoves it aside and continues onward toward the necessary shop. Hopefully the doors are open, and if not, he will solve this dilemma once it arrives.
Knowing the shop's exact location, as he has been there on several dozen occasions, it only takes him two minutes to reach it and glimpse inside through the window. Though the civilians are certain that he can't see them, Deidara is fully aware that three people are behind the counter and that others are hiding amongst item-filled shelves. Even from outside he can hear them quivering and smell their fear. Rolling cobalt eyes, the bomber gives an irritated grunt as he reaches for the clay shop's door handle.
"This is ridiculous, un. If I wanted to blow up their town, I wouldn't go to their store and buy their clay first."
Giving the door handle a harsh tug, he is hoping to saunter inside without difficulty. When the door doesn't budge in the tiniest increment, however, Deidara knows that going inside won't be so easy. Groaning, he tugs on it several more times before unleashing an enraged shout. Having gone into the shop so frequently in the past that he knows the shopkeeper's name, hers is the name that he calls. Even if she was a mile away, he is certain that she would still hear.
"Aimi, open the door, un! I'm not here to kill anyone if that's what you're thinking, un! I just want to buy my clay so I can leave! Now let me in and give it to me!"
Gazing through the window yet again, Deidara catches sight of a pudgy, gray-haired, woman standing up from behind the counter. Her appearance seems harmless, but she bellows back with bile.
"No! You're not coming in here, Akatsuki! Over my dead body will I let your kind into my store!"
For the second time in only a minute, the boy rolls his eyes. He didn't want to do this, especially considering how he is supposed to be hiding his identity, but Deidara releases the door handle and reaches a hand toward the tasseled hat. He removes it from his head in one swift motion, using the other to untuck his hair from the cloak so that flaxen tresses hang freely. Facing the window once more with his features in full view, the boy shoots the lady a livid glare.
"It's me, Aimi! Deidara, un! I've been into your store more times than you can count! I've bought more than twenty times my weight in clay from you! We know each other, un! Now let me in!"
The gray-haired woman doesn't lower herself behind the counter again, yet she doesn't move closer to the door either. She simply stands in place, gaping. Crossing his arms over his chest, he stares back at her in blunt annoyance. It takes a long moment, but at last she speaks.
"D-Deidara?"
Cerulean eyes narrowing, his aggravation never diminishes. "Yes. I'm not a ghost, a woman, or a tax collector, un. I'm Deidara." Giving a pained sigh, he commands, "Now let me in, un!"
The woman studies him for a moment longer. Finally, she comes out from behind the counter to amble toward the door. Two young ladies peek out from behind the counter while other individuals poke their heads out from amongst shelves, each of them calling out warnings. Most of these warnings consist of "Don't do it!" and "He's an Akatsuki!", but nonetheless, their suggestions of caution go ignored. Upon reaching the door Aimi doesn't open it immediately, but instead, gazes at Deidara through the window while making a befuddled inquiry.
"Deidara boy, since when are you involved with the Akatsuki? They're criminals. You shouldn't be involved with people like them."
Eyes narrowing once more, he sighs. "Does it matter if I'm involved with the Akatsuki? You've sold me your clay before, and I never made any moves to destroy Chouwa, un. Now let me in. I want to buy my clay and get out of here, un."
Uncertainty is on Aimi's face, though it eventually vanishes. Giving a small smile, she unlatches the door and shoves it open. The whole time she does this, Deidara releases a breath of alleviation.
"Finally. It's about time, un."
Stepping closer to the door, the bomber is prepared to place his hat back on his head prior to going inside. To both his surprise and aggravation, however, entering the clay shop never happens. Instead, before he can move another inch, a man dashes out from behind a set of shelves. The blink of an eye is all it takes for him to cover the space between the shelves and the door, making it outside just in time to roughly shove Deidara away from the entrance.
Not expecting such a bold move from one of the villagers, the boy finds himself reeling backwards and stumbling toward the wooden wall on the door's opposite side. He doesn't notice, most likely because he is still taken aback, but the majority of Deidara's blonde tresses are becoming entangled in the crack near the hinges where the door comes open. Trying to catch his balance, Deidara allows the hat to fall to the ground while holding his arms out to the side. Oddly enough, due to the angle he's standing at, the boy can reach the wooden walls perfectly fine, but is out of reach of the door.
Meanwhile, the man utters bitter words. "You're not coming into this store, Akatsuki, no matter what Aimi says. You're still a criminal."
With that said, the man shoves the gray-haired woman aside, slams the door shut, and locks it firmly. Feeling more than a tad peeved at this occurrence, Deidara is fully inclined to stand straight up, bang on the door, and demand to be let inside. It is only too sad that the instant he takes the first step to doing this, straightening his posture, he discovers a slight dilemma. No matter how hard Deidara tries, he can't stand up any straighter. To the boy's terror, his lengthy blonde tresses are trapped in the door's hinges, and with the door closed, the odds of his hair coming free with a simple pull are slim to none.
Anxiety visible across Deidara's features, he gives his hair several hard tugs, feeling the horrible sensation of blonde roots yanking at his skull. The boy pulls on his hair for twenty straight minutes, hoping that even if he comes out of this unpleasant situation with shorter hair and split ends, that he can at least find freedom. It is only too sad that not a single strand of hair comes loose. As this happens, Deidara comes to a mournful realization. Unless someone shows up with some pliers or a screwdriver, he is completely trapped.
The floor beside the candy shop's front window has never been cleaner. This isn't necessarily due to a lack of customer's entering the store, but rather because Kaminari has been sweeping that spot off and on throughout the entire day. Some of her time is spent organizing candies in the glass display case and some talking to customers, but the rest is spent in front of the window. She does her best to use the broom as an excuse, but Kaminari is well aware that Fuji is not a fool. It was evident from the start that the woman would catch on to what she is doing. Kaminari was just hoping that she wouldn't catch on so soon.
"Kaminari, get away from the window. Now. You've been sweeping that part of the floor all day. It has to be clean by now."
Fuji doesn't say it outright, but then again, she doesn't have to. Kaminari can hear in her voice's tone the exact words she wants to say, but hasn't spoken. Her tone is so blunt that even the surrounding customers understand, as they glance straight past Kaminari and out the window. By this point every person in the candy shop is staring across the street at the scene. In her fourteen years as a citizen of Chouwa, Kaminari has never seen a sight quite like this one…
"Hey, what are you doing walking past me like that?! Get over here and help me, un! I've been stuck like this for three hours! If somebody doesn't help me soon, I might as well take up citizenship and live here, un!"
One of the shop's customers mumbles frightenedly at the blonde-haired boy's statement. "My goodness, I hope he doesn't mean that. We can't have an Akatsuki living in Chouwa!"
Her eyes never leaving the window, Kaminari's brow furrows in disgust at the person's words. As odd as it might seem, she was able to recognize the cloaked boy the moment he removed the hat. Though Kaminari has never spoken with him personally, as he has never approached the candy shop even once, she has still seen him enough to know that he frequents their village.
The girl has been working at this shop for a year, and once a month she will see the blonde boy walk into the clay shop across the street. Every time he leaves as fast as he appears, massive quantities of clay in tow. She might not know the boy's name or anything else, but she does know that every time he has come into their village before he has never made a single move to hurt anyone. So how the heck does the cloak with the clouds make any difference? Underneath the cloak he's still the same person, right? Honestly. The people in this town are so confusing to Kaminari.
As she observes, Kaminari sees as a man in his early thirties scampers past the boy without making eye contact, as if afraid that looking him in the face could turn him to stone. The entire time the boy glares at the man with livid blue eyes, his body turned in an awkward position due to the angle his hair is stuck at. Such long, beautiful tresses being tangled up in door hinges? Kaminari can only imagine how painful that must be! She got her own hair stuck in a cupboard door once, and that was far from a pleasant experience. Her scalp still hurts her just thinking about it!
While having these thoughts, she can't help but observe his features closely. When he was wearing the straw hat, she must admit that he looked dangerous; like a dark criminal who was capable of unimaginable horror. Of course, as she looks at him again now that his face is revealed, the boy doesn't look quite as dangerous as before. His narrow chin and jawline, straight-lipped mouth, golden hair and slanted blue eyes… Admittedly, he is rather good looking. True, with the length and thickness of his hair, the fact that he isn't muscular, along with the fact that he isn't overly tall, the boy is a bit on the feminine side. Nonetheless, he has masculine qualities. His voice, facial expressions, and posture being a few of them.
Apparently Kaminari takes too long obeying Fuji's orders, because the woman is shouting once more. This time she says what she didn't say earlier, unveiling the extent of her fury.
"That's it, Kaminari! You're done with sweeping for the day! If you can't ignore the drama that's going on with that Akatsuki outside, then you're working the register."
For the first time in what feels like ages, Kaminari turns to face her. The woman has never appeared more enraged than she does right now. Yet, this doesn't bother Kaminari. Instead, making her way past the customers and to the counter where Fuji stands, the girl makes a statement.
"Fuji, I know I said that I wouldn't go near him, but I really, really think that I should. The guy has been stuck there forever! If everybody wants him gone so bad, then why won't anyone help him so he can leave? I heard him tell Aimi that he wants to buy his clay so he can leave of the village!"
Slapping a palm to her forehead, Fuji scowls. "What the heck are you talking like this for? Haven't I been telling you all day not to go near him? He's an Akatsuki, and he's dangerous!"
Frowning, Kaminari glances back outside. The boy is no longer shouting at passersby, but is instead tugging ruthlessly at his flaxen locks. He appears ready to tear his hair out by the roots, and all of this is because nobody will help him!
Brow furrowed thoughtfully, she faces Fuji once more. "Who knows? Maybe he isn't as dangerous as we think. Everybody ran and hid when he first entered the village, then Aimi wouldn't sell him any clay, and now nobody is helping the guy get his hair unstuck from the door. We could be the ones making act him dangerous because we're being so mean!"
Releasing a groan, Fuji hits herself in the head several times using her palm. "Kaminari, I have never heard anything more ridiculous in my life! The man is criminal! He can't be trusted!"
Her brow never comes unfurrowed. "Man? He isn't a man. He can't be any older than me!"
"That doesn't matter," Fuji retorts. "He might be your age, but that doesn't mean he's innocent like you are. Again, I'm telling you to stay away."
Kaminari is gazing across the street at the clay shop again by this point. He is tugging harshly on his hair the same as he was a second ago. The only difference is that this time a boy around the age of ten scurries past. Laughing mockingly, the boy tosses a raw egg in his direction, which hits the Akatsuki in the middle of the left cheek. Once the egg makes contact, the ten-year-old sprints down the street while shouting.
"Ha! Take that, nasty criminal! You're going to be stuck like that forever!"
Growling, said criminal calls after the child angrily. "I dare you to do that to me once I'm free, you brat! I'd like to see you face me then, un!"
The sight of egg dripping down his face is all it takes for Kaminari to make up her mind. She knows that she shouldn't, and all day she has been telling herself that she wouldn't, but the girl can no longer hold back. Determination filling her grass green orbs, Kaminari shoves her broom and apron toward Fuji, clenches her fists at her sides, and leaps in the direction of the candy shop's exit. Kaminari doesn't see it, but Fuji's eyes widen. As do the eyes of the customers.
"Kaminari, get back here! Where do you think you're going?!" Fuji inquires loudly.
The girl responds without looking back. "I'm going home and getting my trusty screwdriver!"
Their eyes widening farther, every individual in the shop begins protesting. Even so, none of their warnings reach Kaminari. The girl is already out the door and sprinting down the road.
Wearing a heinous scowl, Deidara raises a hand and does his best to wipe the sticky remnants of egg off his cheek. He can't decide which emotion is stronger, indignation or degradation. The boy is a member of the Akatsuki, a feared organization of S-rank criminals who are known as the world's strongest equivalent to evil. Yet, where has he been for the past three hours? In some isolated, backwoods, village with his hair stuck in the hinges of a clay shop door. In his fourteen years, Deidara honestly can't think of anything more humiliating. The only good thing about this is that none of the other Akatsuki are around. If Sasori, Hidan, or Kisame saw him in this sorry state, they would never let him live it down. Seeing him like this might even give Itachi a few chuckles!
Releasing a perturbed sigh, Deidara looks up and down the dirt street from his awkward position for quite possibly the thousandth time that day. Like most other times his eyes have scanned the area, nobody is near. Of course, even if there was someone near, Deidara is certain that it wouldn't change a thing. Whoever walks by never stops to help. At this rate, he is going to be stuck here all week! Sighing yet again, the boy does something that he has never done before. He does it while narrowing his eyes bitterly and groaning in disbelief, but nevertheless, he does it.
Looking up and down the street once more prior to rolling his eyes, Deidara leans his head against the wall. As he speaks he winces, as if in physical pain.
"Jashin, I never talk to you, un. I think your servant, Hidan, is insane, and I honestly don't think you're real, but for some reason I'm talking to you anyway. If I'm wrong and you are real, please get me out of this, un! I don't care who you send or how you do it, just get someone to help me, un!"
Approximately ten seconds passes silently, leading Deidara to believe that he just wasted breath. However, it doesn't stay silent for long. He isn't sure how he didn't spot such a conspicuous individual crossing the street, neither is Deidara aware of how her perky footsteps missed his attention, but suddenly, there is person standing directly in front of him. The boy doesn't get time to take in her features. Before he knows it he is being strangled around the waist, the girl talking at an impossible speed. Her voice is as high-pitched and feminine as he has ever heard.
"Oh gosh! Poor Akatsuki guy! You've been stuck here forever! You must be so frustrated and grumpy, and your scalp must be so sore! Don't worry. I only live thirty houses away from here, so I'll be right back with a screwdriver!"
The girl releases him almost as quickly as she grabbed on, dashing down the street faster than a small child who'd finished dining on cake. Deidara doesn't say a word. He stares after her retreating form while wearing a frown of shock, trying to process what just happened. Did Hidan's deity just answer his prayer?
Cobalt eyes widening, Deidara glances toward the sky in Jashin's direction. Then, after taking a moment to reconsider, the flaxen-haired bomber shifts his gaze to the ground. The entire time he arches a bemused brow.
"Uh...thanks? I'll never doubt you again, un."
Once this is said, Deidara settles against the wooden wall as comfortably as possible in his current condition. Hopefully that girl was serious about helping and wasn't pranking him. Considering how she said that she lives thirty houses away and also claimed that she will be "right back", this is distinct possibility. Not to mention that she seems a bit over-the-top to begin with...
Before Deidara can take more than fifteen minutes to contemplate that the girl might not come back, however, the unbelievable happens. Scurrying up the earthen road toward him, coming from the exact direction that she retreated in, is none other than the perky girl. Now that she is at a distance rather than on top of him, Deidara sees that she is tall, has thick black hair tied into a high ponytail, and has bulging eyes the color of grass. The girl's skin is pale, her clothes are simple, and her grin is abnormally large. Normally the blonde prefers avoiding people like her, but considering the screwdriver in her hand, he doesn't mind tolerating a peppy, overbearing, female just this once.
It is a good thing that he took advantage of the temporary distance between them to observe her features, because only thirty seconds later she is unbearably close. The girl isn't hugging him around the waist in sympathy like she was previously, but rather, she is standing in the one-foot gap of space between him and door. She goes at the hinges with the screwdriver vigorously, moving his hair out of the way to deal with the screws accordingly. The fact that the girl is touching his hair so freely definitely isn't something that sits well with Deidara. Of course, with the annoying echoing of her voice as she chatters away a mile a minute, the fact that his hair is being touched is forgotten.
"I'm so sorry about how bad your day must have gone! You didn't get your clay, you've been stuck in this door for hours, and nobody will help you because they're afraid of your cloak. Not to mention that you must've had a super long walk here. Chouwa isn't an easy place to get to, so I know that the hike through the woods must've been exhausting!" Giving a friendly, sugar-coated, giggle, she continues. "I think it's silly that nobody would help you. You've been to Chouwa dozens of times before today, and you never hurt anybody. Just because you're wearing the bad guy cloak now shouldn't make a difference. You like our clay, and we should let you buy it!"
The girl sounds so lively as she talks to him that it makes Deidara wonder if she is truly adept with that screwdriver. At a first glance she looks as old as fourteen, but with the way she is addressing him, she sounds like an eight-year-old who just met a new playmate. If the girl is doing more talking than focusing, she could easily slip with the tool and stab one of them by accident. If this happens, hopefully it's her, of course.
It is only while having these thoughts that either Jashin or the universe decides to prove him wrong. A minute is all it takes for her to remove the hinges, the wooden door coming free and clattering to the ground. When door is freed, much to Deidara's relief, his lengthy golden tresses are completely untangled. Sure, his hair appears a bit ruffled and his ends are doubtlessly split, but he is no longer trapped. Following three hours of imprisonment, no longer being attached to the door is all that matters to the blonde.
Running a hand over his tresses and inspecting them with a grateful smirk, Deidara turns his gaze to the girl.
"Thanks a lot. You have my gratitude. If I ever run into you anywhere, I promise not to blow you up because of this, un."
Every person Deidara has met scampers away in terror at the very mention of his bombs. Now that he's free, he figured that talk of explosions is what would convince her to run away as well. True, he really is happy for her assistance, but another second of her bouncing and rapid speech, and Deidara is certain that his frustration will grow intolerable.
Astonishingly enough, however, the girl doesn't appear frightened in the slightest. For whatever reason, she does not flee. Instead, she responds eagerly.
"Thanks! After ditching my job to help you, not blowing me up is really nice of you!" Stepping so that she is directly in front of him, the girl juts out a hand. "My name is Kaminari! Who are you?"
Smirk vanishing, Deidara steps around her outstretched hand in an apathetic manner. This girl, "Kaminari", doesn't realize it, but she and her screwdriver helped him in more ways than one. Not only did it free the boy's hair from the door's hinges, but it left a gaping entrance into the clay shop that the store's employees will never have time to block off. After an excruciatingly long day, it looks like he finally has an opportunity to get his clay. The last thing he wants is to waste time making small talk.
Yet, even as he walks past her, Deidara finds it in him to answer. Although, his answer to her question probably isn't the thing she was hoping for.
"I am a guy who wants to buy my clay so I can get out of this backwoods settlement that you call a village, un. I have places to go and things to do, so standing here chatting with you isn't an option."
He moves fully past her upon making this statement, hoping that she will catch his hint and move on. The boy has already stepped through the gap in the door and into the clay shop, prepared to demand every solitary ounce of detonating clay that he needs. With the nightmare he has gone through this afternoon, Aimi and her employees owe it to him. The gray-haired lady and the store workers are standing in front of the counter shuddering, too, so Deidara is already aware that getting his hands on more detonating clay is going to be an easy feat.
All of a sudden, however, Deidara feels a sharp tug on the sleeve of his cloak. Caught very off guard by this, he whips around to see a pair of bright, grass-green, orbs. Normally the eyes that stare at him are filled with terror. It is because of this that the wonder in her gaze catches him so by surprise that he almost flinches at the sight of her.
"You said that you have places to go and things to do? What kind of places do you travel to? You're in and out of Chouwa a lot, and when you come you don't stay for long, so you must go to a lot of places!" Pausing slightly, she asks with a bit more hesitation, "I don't want to distract you from whatever schedule you have to keep up with, but can I at least talk to you until you buy your clay and make it to the edge of Chouwa? I've never met anybody as young as me who travels so much. You have to tell me about one of the places you've been to! Please? Just one!"
Giving a glance to the store workers, who are watching the two of them in something akin to disbelief, Deidara exhales in exasperation. What the heck is the matter with this girl? Is she stupid? He's a dangerous, S-rank, criminal, and she's asking to hear travel stories from him!
After exhaling, Deidara takes a deep breath in attempt to re-center himself. As stupid as she is, she can't be that stupid. Sure she's following him around right now, but after hearing a travel story and figuring out how deadly he is, the girl will run away panicking and never speak to him again. True, the boy could take the easy way out and blow her up, but Chouwa is afraid as it is. If he blows up one of their citizens, then they'll never sell him their clay! So, because of this potential repercussion for the preferred course of action, it looks like Deidara will have to choose the latter plan.
Giving a groan of displeasure, Deidara pulls his sleeve out of her grasp and makes his way toward the clay shop's employees. As he does this Kaminari never ceases in following, and Deidara doesn't cease in giving her his answer. Though, it isn't a lie that his response to her question sounds less than pleasant.
"Fine. Because you're the single person in this entire village who was willing to take one minute out of your day to help me, you can follow me to the edge of Chouwa. But you only get one travel story, and once I'm gone, I'm gone, and you can't follow me."
Though he isn't facing Kaminari, he can practically hear the joy radiating from her in waves. "Really? Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you! You have no idea how happy I am!"
Sighing, Deidara grumbles internally. "Trust me, idiot girl. I know exactly how happy you are."