Angel's Wings
Jedi Goat
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
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Chapter 1
The north-most ninja country, the Land of Earth, was aptly named for its lush forests and high mountains; the endless plateaus were barren, though far below green-swept trees carpeted the hills. Somewhere among these mountains was a ruthless village of ninja – Iwagakure, the Village Hidden in the Stone.
Sasori, wrapped in the typical dark robes of the Akatsuki, trudged along his chosen path nonchalantly. It had nearly been a day since he and Hidan, following a little ways behind him and cursing audibly, had left headquarters. Now the sun blazed brilliantly to the west, sinking between the sharp peaks. Sasori squinted fleetingly at the skyline as though he could still see the giant bird cavorting in the sunset, its rider returning laughingly to them. He snorted and looked away: if that were so, he wouldn't be dragging this brat along with him through the wild countryside, searching for his annoyingly elusive partner.
Their current path was steep and rocky over the high plateaus. Mountains, high, snow-topped and proud, surrounded them on all sides. Sasori ascended a small rise and peered over the cliff to the forest sprawling below. He knew they were nearing the village; he could sense it. The scene that greeted him was perfectly serene, however, and unmarred by the slightest hint of civilization. Were he not impatient to finish this mission, he would have perhaps admired the view.
The forest below stretched like a giant green carpet over the hills; individual pines looked like miniature blades of sharp grass. It was early spring, and the frost still tipping the broad mountains had nearly all melted, unveiling the fresh jade wonders underneath. Winding through the patchwork of forest were many thin sparkling streams.
A faint crunch of pebbles told him his companion was catching up. "Can we at least stop and rest soon?" Hidan snarled, crossing his arms. The full day of travel made him more irritable than usual; he swung his bag full of supplies to the ground with a defiant thump.
Sasori glanced over indifferently. "We are nearly at the village. Nightfall will be the best time to approach, and analyze the surroundings."
Hidan ignored him; from beneath a cluster of boulders nearby, a thick sandy-colored serpent was gliding out into the open. It uncoiled its long body, tongue flicking out to taste the air. Amber eyes surveyed the barren surroundings. Then the hunter slithered in the direction of an unknowing bird pecking furiously at the cliff-side.
Sasori narrowed his eyes at the predator that seemed to have captured Hidan's interest. "Come," he said shortly, turning and picking a path down the rocky slope.
Abruptly steel flashed from the corner of his eye; the bird exploded into the air with a startled cry. Sasori turned back in exasperation as Hidan triumphantly sheathed his scythe, gathering the long body of the snake.
"A sacrifice," he answered coldly. "If you want me to help you in Iwagakure, you have to let me perform my ritual."
Sasori turned away. "I did not ask for you to come." He itched impatiently to be moving; he could discern the village was near, gauging by the spark of chakra in the air. However, he restrained himself. Hidan could yet prove useful, as he had convinced himself on the extensive silent trek. If he needed to eliminate any observers, the easiest way would be with the ruthless Jashinist's jutsu.
Thus, he only sighed and settled himself among the rocks as Hidan drew a circle on the ground in blood and lay at its center in prayer. Sasori cast his eyes over the gruesome scene without the slightest emotion – he had seen many horrors in his exile – and stared instead at the slowly darkening sky. He had waited a long time for this; he could wait a little longer.
All around, shadows crept from dark crevices and greedily ensconced the landscape. High above the sky was a deep, starless indigo; it was as if the heavens were being swallowed by some mammoth monster.
To the west, the sun was sinking in a brilliant ball of fire. Sasori, gazing into the sunset, had the impression he was observing the aftermath of one of Deidara's explosions in slow motion. Light radiated from the epicenter in grand rays of orange and purple; the sun itself was the brilliance of the blast, at its climax, frozen in time.
And yet, it was still fleeting. Even in the span Sasori watched, hardly blinking, the light began to die from the sky. The sun slowly faded from view, leaving only faint streaks of color as a reminder of its beauty.
Sasori snorted; he was beginning to sound like the brat, too. Shaking his head, he then exercised the stiffened muscles of his shoulders and looked around for Hidan.
Nearly half an hour had passed, by the change in the sun's position, when Sasori again gazed at his colleague. Hidan still had not moved from where he sprawled, bloodied hands clutching the rosary that always hung round his neck. During the ritual he looked – contrary to his nature and that of the act – almost peaceful; his violet eyes were closed, and his pale gaunt features betrayed his youth.
Sasori blinked, undergoing a barely visible tremor. For a moment, he thought he saw another face, another teen lying bloody and broken and perfectly still.
He had never given much thought to the fact that Hidan and Deidara had joined the Akatsuki at nearly the same time; they, too, must surely be about the same age. Sasori had to look away from the scene as an unknown feeling gripped his heart.
A long time had passed since he had seen his partner; even now, the minutes trickled away as they waited. Sasori stood abruptly, doing his best to shake off his premonition.
He broke the silence sharply. "It is past time. Let's go."
Hidan opened an eye to glare at him. "Shut up! I'm not done yet!"
Sasori gave him a dangerous look, and his voice dropped to a barely audible level. "You are now." The threat was clear; his hand drifted into the pocket of his robe.
Hidan swore under his breath. "Fine, you prick. I'm coming." He yanked the pike from his chest with a visible wince. Sitting up, he rolled his shoulders experimentally with a grunt. "You have less patience than Kakuzu-san…"
"You had better hope we find him soon, so you never have to deal with me again," Sasori countered calmly. He scanned the darkening landscape; he had already spotted signs of activity, and headed toward the village. Hidan, grumbling, trailed after him.
*
They started from what they knew: donning disguise jutsus, the two Akatsuki took to Iwagakure's government building. They first noted the heightened security – elite ninja guarded every entrance, with more circulating the higher levels of the building. After interrogating a susceptible target, they discovered Deidara had indeed been successful in his mission.
"…But they caught the assassin, of course," the government aide chattered on. "Turns out Iwagakure's been searching for this one for a while."
Hidan barely concealed a snort of disapproval. "He was caught by the black ops?"
It can't be, Sasori thought, eyes narrowing. Deidara would never fall that easily. Aside from his explosive clay jutsu, the brat's physical fighting skills were top-notch. He himself had lost a few puppets to Deidara, and that was no easy feat, considering the effort he put into equipping them.
The aide shook his head. "No, it was a foreigner… I don't remember his name, but his jutsu was impressive, from what I've heard. They fought it out, and he nearly lost, too. All I know is he must've offered the Tsuchikage a pretty sum, because he set off with his bounty even as the village screamed for the assassin's head."
"Is that all you remember?" Sasori queried icily. "Don't you know anything about this man? Where he went?"
The aide shook his head again, "As I said, I only heard about it. He left the village a couple days ago, heading back to his country, probably." His eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Didn't you hear any of this?"
Sasori deemed they had gleaned all information possible from this man. "Thank you for your time," he finished coldly, ignoring the question. He turned, giving Hidan a look that signaled they should make their leave.
Further investigations yielded no details, and Sasori was growing edgy in the populated setting. At any moment, they could be discovered for what they truly were.
Finally, he concluded they had done enough work for the evening, and they stealthily left the village as inconspicuously as they had come.
Sasori wandered through the deep forest surrounding the hidden village, analyzing what little they had learned. Deidara had passed through here, accomplishing his mission; he had been caught, however, and had been in enemy hands for countless days now. Sasori cursed his luck; it seemed their trail had gone cold. The situation was dire, now: no longer was he searching for a wayward partner, but striving to defend the entire Akatsuki. Were their enemies – whoever they were – to learn the secrets of their society, they would all be in danger.
Sasori unconsciously increased his pace. His own personal safety was not his main concern, nor was it his consorts back in the Land of Rain. The thought of a stranger somewhere harming his partner made his insides burn with sudden unrestrained anger.
Only I'm allowed to kill the brat, damn it. You'd better hang in there, wherever you are, Deidara. I'm not letting you get away without paying for this.
Sasori was driven from his thoughts by the sudden appearance of a small dwelling before him. He blinked slowly, apperceiving the dilapidated wooden lodge hidden among the trees. It looked uninhabitable, but still… Perhaps someone had heard, or seen something…
Sasori knew he was pulling at threads. Calling briefly to Hidan, he approached the house, ignoring whether the grumpy ninja was following or not. He was.
Shrieking, the crooked door swung open beneath his touch; Sasori peered into the dusty gloom of the interior, his neck prickling with the familiar aura of chakra.
Hidan, too, seemed to sense a presence. He gripped the giant scythe tied to his back, growling, "Come out, wherever you are!"
A faint chuckle greeted them. "The Akatsuki, I see. We've been waiting for you." The door snapped shut behind them as a figure emerged from the darkness. Beside him, Sasori sensed Hidan tense.
"Who the hell are you?"
The figure adjusted his glasses. "Only the messenger," he smiled. "Welcome."
"Yakushi Kabuto." Sasori acknowledged Orochimaru's right hand man with a cold stare. "Where is he?"
"You must be expecting my master; he is not here at the moment, but will return in speed when he hears of your arrival." Kabuto continued to smile benignly, as though they were speaking casually over lunch. Sasori visibly bristled.
"Your so-called master is weak. I care not for him. It is in cause of another that I come, and you know very well of whom I speak." His voice, already needle-sharp, hardened as he finished. Sasori kept his arms folded, though his many scrolls containing puppets were within seconds' reach. His eyes, normally calm, held an unusually fierce light.
"I'm afraid I don't know," Kabuto shrugged benevolently. "Care to enlighten me?"
Hidan looked from him to Sasori, the hatred in his own eyes deepening as he understood what had already struck the puppet master. He whirled on Kabuto, flourishing his scythe.
"Where is Deidara? Tell us now or I'll kill you!"
Kabuto raised his arms defensively. "Now, now, haven't you ever heard not to kill the messenger? I'll show you your friend if you'd like. He's been a – fascinating guest."
Sasori only blinked, unsettled by the way the sound ninja spy switched tracks so swiftly. Something brewed beneath the surface, for now shadowed by Kabuto's sly smile. It seemed the sound ninja had been expecting them to come calling – in search of the damn brat. Questions pricked at his mind, irking him; Sasori hated not being in control.
Damn that Orochimaru. He took a slow breath, summoning his calm. He would play along for now; acting without knowledge of the situation was only what Deidara would do, and what probably got him in this fix in the first place, Sasori figured.
Kabuto waved his hand casually, and a doorway slid open in the wall. "This way, if you please."
Sasori and Hidan exchanged a fleeting glance; neither of them liked the way this was headed, but they had no choice. Kabuto's smile withheld secrets; if they struck out now, without discerning what threats lay unknown, they would endanger both their own lives and Deidara's, too, if they were to believe their chauffer.
I don't know what you're playing at, Orochimaru, but if you laid a hand on the brat, I swear to make you pay. Right after I kill him.
Sasori strode forward, head raised in defiance. "Show us then."
"Very well," Kabuto smiled, leading them down the dank stairs into darkness.
To be continued...
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