Hey everyone! Hope you're liking this story so far! I know it may seem I'm rushing it, but just you watch!
As always,
Enjoy~
~Kyvena
Chapter 3: Reality Comes With A Bang
Sakura was utterly exhausted as she walked, yet, she knew that wasn't the only thing she was feeling. Turning her head back towards where she had left Deidara, tears began to flow down her face... Noticing the sudden mood change with Sakura, Kakashi slowed a bit to speak, "Everything all right Sakura?" Slowly but surely, Sakura came to a halt. Now both Yamato and Kakashi looked at one another, not knowing what to do or say to this beautiful broken teenager. The moment the two blinked, Sakura was gone. Yamato's eyes widened and instantly began to yell, "SAKURA!" Hearing her captain's voice didn't cause Sakura to stop at all. Pressing forward, she knew they were only a thirty minute run from the rendezvous point, hoping Deidara was still there... the one thing she had always regretted whenever she left the Leaf for this training was that she hadn't held Naruto or Sasuke for a long time before departing. She wasn't a child anymore, she needed to learn from her mistakes, not continue making the same ones.
Deidara didn't move for the longest time... he honestly felt lost now, "She's gone..." Tears slid down his face and hit the scorching ground, leaving no evidence that he had been crying. Turning around, Deidara slowly but surely made his way back to Iwagakure, stumbling here and now until a voice rang out, "DEIDARA!" He figured he was just dehydrated and was now hallucinating, "DEIDARA!" The voice of Sakura yelled out louder, reaching towards this godly man who had become so torn up over her leaving. Sakura grit her teeth remembering the one line that would cause him to stop, "DAMN IT WILL YOU LISTEN TO ME SENSEI!" Suddenly Deidara froze and slowly began to turn around whenever Sakura launched herself towards him and wrapped one arm across his shoulder blade and the other gently laid against his hair, holding Deidara tightly to her. Blue orbs widened in shock at the sight of Sakura holding him, "I made this mistake once... I won't do it again Dei..." Sakura began to sob against his chest as if she would never see him again. Shakily raising his arms, Deidara wrapped his arms around Sakura's tiny waist.
"She's so reckless!" Yamato shook his head as they arrived to see Sakura embracing the man who had taught her and been her family for so long. Kakashi gave a gentle smile, "She's not reckless Tenzou... She has feelings, just like you and I... But I have to wonder though..." Tenzou looked at Kakashi with a puzzled look before Kakashi continued, "I wonder if she told him that she is the nine tails Jinchuuriki..." Tenzou shrugged, "Who knows what happened these six years she was gone. For all we know, she could have lost her virginity." Kakashi laughed gently and leaned against a rock he was standing next to, "That's not a question for us to ask, now is it Tenzou?" Tenzou shook his head, "I suppose not, but... will you stop calling me Tenzou, you know that I am to go by Yamato." Kakashi shrugged, "Tenzou, Yamato, a name is just a name. Sooner or later... those names are forgotten..."
Deidara held Sakura tightly, "Sakura... I..." Sakura stroked Deidara's hair and that's when it hit him... 'I made this mistake once... I won't do it again Dei...' Sakura's words echoed in his mind, causing him to drop his arms from Sakura as he continued to think, 'I understand now, she's already in love with someone from her village...' Deidara suddenly pushed Sakura away, "Leave..." Deidara's eyes glazed over and Sakura didn't seem to understand what she had done wrong. Lifting a shaky hand towards him, Deidara swiftly slapped her hand away, "I SAID LEAVE!" Sakura clenched her fists, "WHY!?" Growing angrier, Deidara rose his hand, only to slap Sakura so roughly that she hit the ground as a small amount of blood dripped from the seams of her mouth, "You thought you could play me, yeah!? Well I HATE you, hm! YOU COULD NEVER TRULY APPRECIATE GOOD ART!" That's when he finally ripped his gloves off, showing the mouths on his palms before shoving his arms into two of the pouches that laid dormant on each side of his hips.
"So that's why you always wore gloves around me..." Sakura spoke sadly, "You thought I would judge you for something that wasn't even under your control... You thought... you'd be all alone..." Deidara was now seething, "WHAT WOULD YOU KNOW ABOUT LONELINESS, YEAH!?" Sakura then stood and turned away, "I know everything about loneliness... I guess you didn't care to hear as to what I had to say... Take care in life Deidara..." Sakura reached into her ninja tool holster and pulled out a kunai, making Deidara believe she was going to fight him... That is until she released her hair from its ponytail. All of this was in slow motion for Deidara as he watched with widened eyes as Sakura slice her hair to her shoulders, "Take care... I will leave my broken heart with you..." Deidara didn't know what to say or think as Sakura walked away.
Yamato and Kakashi had watched all of this with wide eyes as well, but the moment Sakura passed them a dead cold voice rang out, "Let's go..." The two simply nodded, only to look back at the boy and could only wonder what had happened between the two. Kakashi cleared his throat, "You go on ahead Yamato. I'll catch up." Yamato nodded at Kakashi before running after Sakura. Appearing next to Deidara, Kakashi cleared his throat, bringing Deidara out of shock, "What...just...happened, yeah..." Kakashi sighed and leaned down, gathering the heap of hair Sakura had decided to abandon before handing it to Deidara, "You know, it's never easy for a woman to tell a man she loves them." Deidara took the hair and his head fell as Kakashi continued to speak, "You know... We weren't even thirty minutes away whenever Sakura felt the need to instantly turn around and come back to your side. My guess is she wanted to see your reaction before deciding..." Deidara looked puzzled, "Decide what, yeah...?" Kakashi turned to allow his one eye showing to peer straight into Deidara's eyes, "The decision was simple. Go back home, or stay by your side." With that Kakashi vanished.
Deidara now seethed over the fact that the third Hokage had even sent Sakura to his village, he seethed over how she was almost assassinated the very first day she entered Iwagakure, he seethed because he was too damn blind and stupid to even see that she was as much in love with him... that he had been with her... Standing, he now had a choice... The choice he made however, would take its toll on not only him, but the village as well. Pulling out the deadly creation he had made earlier, he made his way back to Iwagakure... "Art... is a bang..." Deidara began to set little explosives everywhere around the village. Iwagakure would fall, whether it be tonight or tomorrow, or next year.
The Leaf Village was now coming into view for the now short haired Sakura and practically the whole village stood at the gates to Konoha, including the new Hokage, Lady Tsunade. Cheering could be heard, yet Sakura never waved to a single person as she stopped in front of the now fifth Hokage, "You did marvelous Sakura Haruno. I wanted to be here to personally welcome you home." Sakura merely nodded, "Kay... Thanks..." That's when she heard them, "MOVE ASIDE! SAKUUUURRRRAAAA!" Naruto and Sasuke had gotten much taller the six years she had been gone and all trace of baby fat was now gone, "N-Naruto...? S-Sasuke...?" Sakura immediately dropped all of her belongings and wrapped her arms around the two boys she had missed so much, "I've missed you two so much!" By now, Sakura wasn't shedding tears of relief, no... she now wept due to the loss of Deidara.
Naruto and Sasuke looked at one another, not knowing exactly what had happened while she had spent all of that time gone. Once the entire crowd welcomed Sakura home, Sakura turned to Tsunade before bowing and speaking, "Milady, I have a request if I may be so bold." Tsunade rose an eyebrow before nodding, "Speak Sakura, I do not fear you the way the third Hokage did." Sakura looked up with a determined look on her face, "I wish to become your apprentice Milady." Tsunade's eyes widened slightly before tapping her chin. Sakura then decided to be brave and continue her speech, "Your skills as a healer and your strength are legendary. I wish to become stronger and I also have the desire to save a comrade should they need it Milady." Thinking this over a little longer, Tsunade smiled, "If you devote yourself to my teachings, then I shall not turn you away. Let us begin now." With that, Sakura left with Lady Tsunade to begin her rigorous training.
Deidara decided to not waste any time as he held his pointer and middle finger up, "HA!" His bags were already packed as he walked away from the mass explosion that was now ongoing. Looking up at the blue sky all he could remember now was the words Sakura had spoke to him, 'The... sky...' After some time had passed he was soon approached by a gang known as The Akatsuki and forced to join once he lost a duel to a man known as Itachi. Little did he know... a man hunt for the tailed beasts was about to be set in motion and he also did not know who exactly... he would be hunting...
