The snow fell steadily throughout the night and by morning it had covered the small town hidden in the rocks with a generous icing, deep enough to bury a long boot. Deidara discovered this fascinating fact as he lay in bed dozing about artwork, he'd been dreaming he was sitting on a tall tree, looking across the city, an auburn red painting the sky before he glances down to the ground were large clay own sits watching patiently. As Deidara's sleepy mind pondered the significance of this he became aware of movement behind him, something large and heavy was scraping ice, the sonorous thud of it's swaggering steps sounding like the beat of a hollow drum. Booming and creeping ever closer until a humid snort of blood-stained breath was wetting his skin on the back of his neck. Deidara shuddered, far too frightened to turn, the dark figure opened it's mouth to speak.
"Zetsu-sempai! If I stand here, right outside the window, I can't see the top of my knee's at all!" he groaned as the dream bubble popped and the dreamscape disappeared west once more. That was the trouble with this house he thought, you couldn't even have a decent dream without a loud 24-year-old next door neighbour ruining it for you. With a sigh he rolled over onto his side and promptly came nose-to-drool with a puddle. Oh yes, and on top of the noisy bakka was the tongues poking from his palms that couldn't help but create lakes round his head in the morning's. They usually slept under the duvet but had chosen to camp on the pillow that night.
"morning" Deidara greeted them, the mouths opened on the sound and yawned. The resulting stench was surprisingly close to what Deidara imagined raw flesh might be like, he grimaced and got out of bed. Slipping on a pair of black trouser's, he pulls his black and red shirt down along with the cloak opened up and hanging from his shoulder's aimlessly. Drawing back the curtains and assessing the weather his azure eyes could promptly see the garden that was truly covered, in the centre of the lawn the long brown stem of the bird table which Zetsu owned was the only spike of colour to have survived the fall. Icicles were hanging off the roof of the shed while the rockery looked like a small ski slope, Deidara shivered and clicked his tongue's, winter had never been his favourite season.
"what do you reckon?" he enquires rubbing out a small patch of condensation on the window so that his clay bird had a clearer sight of things. The specially chewed up montage sits in silence, he hurried against the glass and in the canvas so created he ran his finger down it into a cloud, the water running down it's edges.
The annoying orange swirl's shouting causing a large belt of snow to come shooting past the window to land with a thump on the dustbin outside. Deidara jumped back with a frightened start, almost treading on his Danna's favourite puppet making him hiss angrily before slight relief, he didn't want to relive the last time he broke something of the puppeteers. Sighing he begins dragging a comb through his mop of sun kissed hair and was soon rushing into the kitchen to get early breakfast, getting onto his knee's muttering and brushing past the bags for missions he starts racking around in the bottom of the freezer, it was loosely packed with frozen veg but in a space at the back behind the bag was a red plastic box.
He frowned slightly trying to reach in and get it back only to find it frozen to the inside of the fridge, eventually prizing the container free Deidara sigh's softly. Jumping up and slamming the freezer shut he lean's back against it while pushing his hand into his cream waist belt clip straps. Dirty little puddles of thawing snow were dripping from the soles of his sandals, Kakuzu was too cheap to buy real winter wear for the group.
The snow on the patio was soft, unbroken and came up in huge brick-like block's, Deidara launched load after load onto the lawn, the pair trying hard to build a snowman close by squealed every time a wedge came near but he complained only once. Getting rather bored of the chilly chore, Deidara pretended that he'd seen a hedgehog and hit Tobi with a chunk which exploded on his head and showered down into the hood of his coat. He packed a snowball and tried to retaliate but it missed and hit the window instead making both wince, luckily it didn't break however the tanned miser shouts loudly that their going to lose something precious if they really do break the windows.
"help Tobi build a snow man, please sempai?" Deidara rested his shovel and joined him on the lawn, off he went, up and down till the ball was so big it needed both of his hand's to push it. The kid made a head and plonked it on, about ready to set off to find twigs for the arms and stones for the eyes, mouth and nose when the sky grew dark and it started to rain.
Zetsu didn't complain about leaving the snowman, he was tiered and complaining that his feet were wet, Pein calling them back to the house while he made a detour back to the shed in order to put the shovel away. As he was dropping the latch he thought he heard something moving on the lawn, just the faintest swish of snow but enough to make him turn his head. The lawn was covered with the interlocking tracks of human footprints but towards the top and centre were some larger marks, certainly not made by human feet.
Picking up a rock he walked nervously towards them, his heart beat going a little faster, he was a metre or two from the first indent when he realised they were nothing more than a small arc of stepping stones peeping through the snow. Deidara laughed at his stupidity and tossed the rock aside before going back inside the old house, placing his red scarf on he wrapped it a few more times around his icy neck while he shudder's in the coldness. Apparently there was going to be a huge Christmas do for every member of the Akatsuki to join, from the main group to the minors who helped with smaller missions or stood in on battles for them. The snow under his feet being crunched while he rustles in his bag to pull out red fingerless gloves with black stripes on the cuff's to keep him warm, the sea blue of his eyes flickering as he walked the park path towards town to buy food for the large get together tonight.
Inside a great hall streamers and other party supplies surrounded many people, some in fancy dress while higher up's stand in their cloaks and talk to the main group. Soon enough the doors open and the women stride in to the rooting cheers of the men, Deidara sitting idly staring about after managing to escape Hidan's annoying girlfriend Lauren who wouldn't shut up about her hair, what the Jashinist saw in her he didn't know.
Glancing about his attention is taken to a strange woman who was in neither fancy dress nor the Akatsuki dress code but rather an entire set of white which consisted of a long cloak that came down to her knee's and a birds mask with red imprinted into it from what he could see with the hood up to shadow over the eyeless mask.
In ninja white trouser's with blue panels on the upper leg and long brown strap boots that stuff them inside, nothing could be described about her appearance but the bright yet invisible silhouette she occurred around everyone else, the ends of long blades poking out from the white sash around her hips sways as she takes food from plates and secretly eats a bit of it much like Tobi would. Staring at the woman's strange yet majestic manner he flinches when Tobi tackles him.
"what is sempai looking at?!" he chirps in a curious manner turning to look at the empty space, the blonde giving an annoyed glare at losing sight of the woman.
"nothing, un" he mutter's scurrying off to search for her but finds himself grabbed by Kisame.
"the boy vs. girl competition starts in a minute" he mumbles with a toothy grin watching the blonde glance away with a pout then turn back with a groan, taking to a side the women stand to one side with grins while the men just smirk.
'This was going to be easy' is what they all thought against each other, muttering between them they send their first people out and they start the battle. Growing late there was only the champion of the men left vs. what ever woman could still battle, scowling they discuss their options.
"we can't let the men win, they win every year!" a brunette yelps angrily crossing her arms while another points towards a corner.
"she hasn't fought yet, send her out!" all heads turning as they part away for the white to weave through towards the front, everyone giving strange stares at this figure.
"how long has she been here?…" they chorus together in awe and confusion before pointing at Kisame who smirks at them.
"giving up?" the blue toned man enquires waiting for a reply, all of them hissing and cursing him before pointing for her to go out and fight.
"you better be as good, who ever you are!" they snap watching her confront the shark silently, the mask tilting up to look at him from behind the hood.
"your chakra is barely there…" he mumbles watching her slip gloved hands into the sash and pull the swords out, spinning them together and to her side before getting into a slightly tilted angle to prepare herself. "those aren't going to protect you babe" he chortles with a few others before shrugging. "well, if you want to try" aiming his sword he storms towards her and swings it down heavily, with a simple skid she dodges and comes up towards him from the side only to cart wheel sideways in the air away from the plundering blade. "I'm not that easy" he smirks with pearly white teeth before watching her stand straight up and put her swords away, all of them giving confused stares before her hand raises up and her finger's press together.
Not waiting he spit's a high powered water Jutsu towards the woman in white but she does not move, clicking the gloved finger's together to the following sound of one all might crack, the lights above send lightening down onto the spraying water to the sharks horror. The burst of yellow and white zooming up at the blink of an eye and hitting him even though he had stopped the Jutsu, there was no chance of dodging such an attack as the burst of flames build leaving him standing with a frazzled face. Groaning the tall Akatsuki warrior flops backwards until all silence is taken over, it is broken by the women screeching with joy at the win.
"we win! We win!" they all yell proudly as the tall woman stalks away again, the auburn leader with the other groups going to Kisame's side to check if he is okay, Zetsu grinning.
"mm, he's been cooked inside his jacket….can we eat him?" the cannibal whispers to themselves as they help the crispy shark to his feet.
"no, you cannot…" one girl glare's wincing when she touches this scolding forehead, it was a surprise he was still alive in the first place.
In the medical ward the Akatsuki stand discussing quietly when there is a knock at the door, glancing they grip weapons when the masked white woman with her hood up slowly creeps in. All of them staring at her but she only ignores their presence to stand staring at the orange-brown shark, the women sitting or standing on the other side getting up protectively to snarl.
"get away from him! You've already done enough you monster!" the mask turns up to stare at her, the gloved hand raising then back down into her pocket to produce an ink well and a small Japanese brush. A medic holding back the girl who is struggling to claw at the woman on the other side.
"she wants to help…" he states firmly with a glare that shows worry and defence for both the girlfriend and the shark, pulling the cover's down the woman glances down the charred body before slowly painting onto the white gloves. More symbols placed onto the shark's body as she draws onto the bandages and naked skin in a never ending spiral with special symbols going around in it like a whirlpool while the Akatsuki stare with a confused glare.
It looked like a healing Jutsu but at the same time it was too odd to even decipher, going to the other side of the bed while staring from his feet she holds her hand up and glides her finger's creating a cover layer of blue to the shape of his body. With a glowing light the weave of chakra intertwines and in front of all their eyes dragon like worms scramble about getting into every grotesque cut and burn and weaving into each other. Eventually it fades and reveals every mark gone, every permanent scar from many years ago faded to nothing but fresh flesh. The swordsman groans and crinkles his eyes, the woman summoning every inch of ink used back into the pot before being put away again.
"Kisame!" the woman squeals grabbing the lackadaisical shark whom wasn't very sure what was going on.
"he'll need rest but other than that nothing bad" the doctor states before glancing about for the strange healer who had yet again evaded questioning or capture.
"…were did my scar go…I had one right here" he mutter's prodding about with a confused glare, the doctor rubbing the back of his head before bowing.
"I will let you have some private time" he chirps leaving swiftly, Pein glaring into the back of his mind absently while the blonde stares with awe at everything.
"this has been some Christmas…" the girls complain cuddling into the shark who flops back to yawn, some turning to stare at the leader now glaring about something.
"I want information on that member…perhaps she could be of some use to us" a brunette scowls at the idea and was about to yelp about it if it weren't for Tobi interjecting.
"Tobi will go ask!" skipping off out the door everyone is given a job to locate or get information on the strange woman and quickly however to their unfortunate luck no one knew who she was. Replying that they had never seen a woman of that description in the building nor had they even seen Kisame getting roasted.
"it's like she wiped their memory and ran off…not even part of a group…a spy perhaps?" Sasori questions in a puzzled manner but Kakuzu shakes his head.
"we had tight security, no one could have gotten into here without a pass" Zetsu nods his head in agreement to this then all eyes go back to the table.
"we have all of the members on record right? She has to be on their….somewhere!" Clara states with a blink as Konan and Pein both groan.
"we spent hours, nothing…not even a whisker" glancing between each other Deidara for once speaks up.
"I think she's part of the rain village swamps, un. I heard stories about someone like her when I was passing through there, un" they glance at him curiously, hoping for more information. "err…the problem is its only folk lore so it can't be what I think she is, un" the sun blonde teen slowly mutter's glancing at the table, some urging him to carry on anyway. "well supposedly there is a fire god tale, they called it 'The soul of resurrection'. She being the 'lady of nature' …she protects the surrounding area and brings luck to people, un…but this is highly unlikely…gods don't exist" he prods both of his finger's together in embarrassment, Hidan scowling in irritancy.
"Jashin is a god and he exists!" he snaps in a scolding tone before crossing his arms. "besides, you woman, if gods don't exist were do you think demons come from?" this had to be the first time the albino had said something intelligent without saying something completely out of context, the bomber grows silent before carrying on.
"if she does exist then we would have no chance getting her to join…un" they give questioning stare's at Deidara who hadn't made any eye contact up until now, he was usually the kind to look you right in the eyes without any problems. "it would take a miracle to convince a god to even side with a human, un…and the chances of convincing her to attack someone wouldn't happen in a life time" glancing at Laura he gulps. "that and I think you made her mad when you called her a monster, un…" glancing back down there is some murmuring before a scroll is shot his way in which he catches.
"then you will be perfect for the mission, I expect results…" everyone disappearing with sigh's of relief to the sweet escape, the blonde crumples his eyebrow in confusion. How in Kami's name was he supposed to lure out a god?! For days he sat researching what he could and came up with only three options, give her food, learn how to play the flute or offer himself to her.
Only one option sounded good but what she ate was were everything ended, what would a god actually like to eat? In the abyss of the swamps near the village he had left out many different foods but neither lured her to him, a monk whom was passing by pauses with a curious stare to see him placing a dango down on the small shrine.
"its been years since I've seen someone offering something to the earth god…but I don't think Dango's will get you anywhere" the bomber glances at him with a confused stare, Tobi who had been climbing a tree drops out onto the group with a sickening thud to listen closer. "perhaps you should offer her something rare, something she will never have seen before" bowing he waddles off again to allow the both of them to stand thinking, this just got sillier and sillier, the orange swirl glances at the shrine before eating the food.
"maybe you should put a clay bird down sempai!" he squeaks with a pile of food stuffed in his gob, thinking about it the perfect idea hatches in his head as he gets to work on a small and fragile bird that he finds in a lore book he had been using to study her. Finally finishing it he places it down and steps back to admire his master piece, there is an unsteady wind for only a moment but then nothing else. After hours the sky grew dark and soon Tobi had fallen asleep up a tree away from the marsh, Deidara underneith it staring at the temple trying not to fall asleep but he could feel his eyes becoming thick with haze and his head growing heavy.
Widening them again they becoming glazed from their azure blue before he dozes off, in the morning he is woken to the horrible sensation of Tobi falling on top of him in his sleep from all the way above on the tree branch. Jumping he glare's at the irritating partner then at the shrine where the clay was now gone leaving nothing.
"sempai?" the irritation mutter's guessingly watching the blonde rub his chin in thought.
"un…" creating another one he puts it down and sits back with his arm's crossed, after staring at the shrine for goodness knows how long Deidara had found himself alone after Tobi had grown bored and went home. Sighing the sun kissed locks float as he drops down onto his side to lean on his palm and yawn, a gust of wind blowing around casting the muddy scent of aging willow up his nostrils.
Dozing off something bright seems to slowly pass him by and then go towards the shrine, squinting his eyelids they slowly open and cast upon the empty area. Closing them again he goes back to sleep until waking up again when something warm sit's stroking the blonde bang from his eyes and fiddle with his gravity defying ponytail. A gentle hum like the wind scattering his thoughts as he nuzzles into them to get comfy, fingertip after fingertip pattering down his cheek every so often.
The voice ghost's lightly in an angelic voice, {on the day that you were born the angels got together and decided to create a dream come true. So they sprinkled moon dust in your hair of gold and starlight in your eyes of blue, that is why all the girls in town follow you all around. Just like me they long to be close to you} the warm finger's trailing Deidara's neck gently as they hum again. Squinting his eyes the blonde opens his eyes to look up at the masked figure staring back, slowly sitting his head on her lap to see ringlets of blonde cascading down towards him, the pale finger's moving away as he sit's up to look at the woman in question.
"you're the one who used to come see me when I was younger, right? Un" he enquires getting a slow nod, glancing down he looks at the tongues on his hands. "I didn't mean to hurt you when I shouted…" he mumbles tensing when the top of her finger's skim his chin before phasing back to cup it softly.
~~Flash back~~
Standing with one wrist to his eyes a young boy cries while hiding by a chute in the park alone, someone's chakra appearing as he turns his head up to look at a strange woman sitting on top of the swing set's pole. With a flute to her lips as she plays it softly into the oaken breeze while the mask cover's the rest of her face, getting up cautiously the boy steps closer towards them with the saltwater streams staining his cheeks.
Closing his eyes slightly when leaves swirl around him and off towards the mysterious forest, peering back up he finds the woman gone but when he turns she sits upon the chute away from him. Turning to follow her she disappears again making him pout when she seems to smile at him in amusement of the disgruntled expression. This time she doesn't move but instead lets him come closer until eventually they sat together in silence, her lips parting as if wanting to say something but thinking better of it a moment later.
Hand stretching up to catch a closed bud from no where as the blonde stares about the colourless scene, there were many tree's but none for it to have come from. Glancing down at it when she holds it out to him he takes it to look at on the back of his hand, cupping it from his eyesight the azure of his eyes flash a bright pink reflection when it unwinds and starts to open fully into a rose like blossom.
After a few days of her coming to see him when he is upset he stands chattering to her, over the time he had explained his problems and the tongues on his palms. The strange woman would just listen to anything he had to say but never actually spoke, at this point he was getting curious to who she was.
"have you got anything strange to talk about?" the blonde questions curiously glancing up at the mask, twisting her head again she seems to hum quietly, shaking her head he pouts softly. "can you speak?" he enquires curiously glancing her up and down as she nods, the boy staring at her expectantly.
"hi" her hand raised making him gasp then pout when she says nothing more, staring at the woman she watches him get up.
"I have to go…bye" cuddling her mask randomly the boy runs off out of the park home, the woman watching soundly before disappearing in a swirl of leaves again. Everything seemed peaceful for sometime until, however, the young boy heard a story and found an unforgettable picture, glaring at her as she stands looking at him her head tilts curiously to the angry expression aimed at her.
"you're a forest god" he bluntly states with a pointed finger accusingly, in complete silence as usual she stiffens for a moment before nodding. "you lied to me…" the blonde states angrily as her hand reaches out to touch him, smacking it away the young child scowls. "your just like them, lying about everything!" he suddenly yells making her wince, tears from his cheeks as he backs off from her touch again. "stay away from me!" he yells even louder turning and running away, the woman slowly retracting her hand before putting it to her side to watch him. From the eyeless mask a small tear drop slips down to drop from the edge, without another word she trails back towards the forest.
~~end flash~~
Not daring to look at her the bomber mumbles under his breath, the woman only wrapping her arms around him to pull Deidara closer, after a few minutes he sits against her with his eyes closed again.
"I was never angry…" she mumbles running her finger's through his golden lock's.
"this will sound stupid because I'm nothing like you but…" Deidara glances at her hand before reaching out to hold it, sitting up he stares away at the grass again before looking up at her. "I err…" watching her hand move she pushes up her mask to put it on her lap, this however doesn't help as the blonde starts to fume a red of panic and embarrassment.
Smiling at him she glances into his azure eyes through her golden orbs, down her cheeks from her eyes are symbol's that state the god-like stature. Leaning closer to ghost her lips to his she pushes them together with his for only a split second, pulling each hand up she kisses the mouths gently, no room for words, no need for confectionary items. Wrapping his arms round her he snuggles into the crook of her neck, the blonde plucking up the courage to finally say it.
"I love you" he mumbles getting a small nod in return.