Title: Chikaku and the Akatsuki : あかつき と 近く と
Rating: M
Pairing: -
Chapter: Hebi-chū kusa no - 蛇中 草 の - Snake in the Grass.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. It belongs to Kishimoto-sama. I only own Chikaku and her Kekkai Genkai.

Note: Review~

"You can't talk of the dangers of snake poisoning and not mention snakes."

C. Everett Koop

The two of them sat there for a little longer, before the man sighed and left the money beside the women, and started to drag himself down the dirt road, hoping the two didn't get lost, but then, how could Deidara get lost when he had his birds, and if he had found Chikaku, Sasori would straight away be bugging the two. He didn't like to be kept waiting, and they both knew that, but yet they still kept him waiting. Also the elder shinobi, wasn't liking what the women had muttered. Sasori would kill the blonde if he touched Chikaku in any bad way again. After all, before he had left the village, Sasori had promised Chika's mother that he would look after the child if anything bad was to happen, when the girl's mother was no longer around, to care for her and her little sister Luna, but with Luna gone, Chikaku was the only one that Sasori had to look after.

Slowly he made his way down the path, until he reached to a turning in the woods, again he sighed making his way threw the trees until he would reach the two idiots, he had to look after.

Chika soon sat up, as Deidara groaned, she was still sitting on him, and it was starting to hurt slightly. Though, the panic look that was covering Chika's face, caused the blonde to sit up as well, and cupped her cheeks in his hands. Chikaku sat there trembling slightly, her purple eyes, looked into his blue ones, as she remembered what it was, that she worried about completely, though, seeing the blonde idiot in front of her, it always made her forget about her worrying. Now though, she was worrying all over again about it. Taking a deep breath she relaxed a little as he smiled, hugged her close, burying her head into his shoulder she mumbled something.

"What?" Deidara pulled her back a little and blinked.

"O-orochimaru... I-is after m-me..." Her voice faltered. "S-sasuke... T-told me..." Deidara looked away, as Chikaku looked at him. "Dei..." She turned his face towards him. "He came to warn me... I don't even know how he found me..."

He sighed and nodded slightly. She hugged him tightly, it wasn't him being jealous, Deidara just knew that the history between Sasori and Orochimaru isn't the best history to have, and how about the others. What are they going to tell Pein? Her hugged her back and buried his head into her shoulder. Chika really had to tell Sasori, but she didn't want to leave the blond here. Pulling back she looked at him.

"Dei. I need you to go and find Sasori." She smiled and blushed a little. "I'll catch up soon, okay." He looked away a little. "Dei-kun... I-i just need time to think... O-on what Kankuro said..."

"About your mental health affecting your kekkai genkai?" He asked quietly, as Chika nodded. "So... Thinking a little on how to handle.. What he told you about him... You want me to find Sasori, whilst you figure it out...?" Another nod. "And not because of Sasuke." Again a nod. He looked at her, seriously in the eye, before sighing and nodding. "Fine. But you have to stay in this spot, un."

"Staying in this spot. Got it. Baka Dei-kun." She smiled softly, and hugged him.

Climbing off him, and standing back up, Chika helped him back up. As he dusted off his clothes. A small frown appeared on her face, as he ruffled her hair softly, and walked away, to find the former Sand puppeteer. Collapsing to her knee's, when she felt him a little distance away, Chika buried her head in her hands, trembling. 'Its all his fault... H-him and his men...' She covered her mouth, to stop the short gasps and to keep herself together from crying. 'Because of that stupid snake... L-luna... L-luna is gone... A-and now h-he wants me...' Trembling she wrapped her arms around herself, and fell onto her side. She held back the scream, she wanted to let out, in anger, frustration and sadness. Closing her eyes, Chika was calming herself down, with slow deep breaths, she didn't want to hurt anyone out of sadness, because of the stupid snake. She was thankful to Sasuke for telling her, warning her, even if he had left Konoha, broke all the bonds he had, even the ones with some of the ninja in the sand village, like herself.

Chika got on well with Sasuke, when she was visiting Konoha with the three sand siblings, she would always be meeting up with Naruto and Sakura, or bumping into Sasuke and having a small conversation. It was natural that most of the girls got jealous, but, they didn't know what if felt like. Having all your family killed. Yet Sasuke knew he didn't know exactly how Chika felt, since it was his older brother who had killed their clan, Chika had actually ended her clan, after her parents were killed by someone from Kumo. He would comfort her the best he could, and Chikaku knew that, she knew that Sasuke wasn't one for comforting others, but she knew he would try his best. And when she let out about Sasori, Sasuke frowned, but he understood.

"He wants me..." She trembled a little. "My kekkai genkai..."

Chika soon flinched a little, feeling something bite her ankle and lifted her head, just to stare at the white snake making its way back to where it came from, but before it could get any further, Chika soon pinned it with one of her kunai's, and slowly stood up, before collapsing again. 'P-poison...?' She trembled, lifting herself up again, but fell back down. It was useless. She couldn't get anywhere. 'This poison spreads really fast.' Her gaze turned back to the snake. 'White snake... His poison...' She soon let out a stressful cry, well more like a scream, before laying her head onto her arms, panting a little.

Meanwhile Deidara stood in front of Sasori, and coughed a little as Sasori glared at him. He was trying to find a way of telling him, without letting it go that Sasuke had told Chika, or that she could be in trouble at the moment. Sasori on the other hand was getting very impatient with the blonde, and let out a small growl. "Deidara." Hearing his name the blonde looked at the elder and frowned, as Sasori glared at him. "Tell me what is the problem?" The former rock shinobi let out a quiet and quick sigh before nodding and telling the sand shinobi from the beginning.

"Orochimaru is after Chikaku. She was told by Sasuke, after she wandered off. When I found her she was lost, but I have a feeling she wanted to let it sink in before she told any of us, and since she doesn't know what happened between you and Orochimaru. Getting her to tell you straight away might have been a little, to quick for her."

"So. Where is she now?"

"Thinking over what Kankuro had told her... About her kekkai genkai." Dei frowned slightly. "She wants to see how she can stop it from reacting to her emotions."

"Hm. Okay, lets go to he-"

They both turned to he direction of the scream, before heading towards it, Deidara hopping onto the bird with the other, and heading to where she was.

The two soon arrived to where she was, and straight away Deidara was off the bird and at her side. Chikaku opened her eyes slightly, and let out a stressful chuckled, as Sasori was near the snake. Deidara soon lifted her as she smiled the best she could, she trembled faintly, her eyes closed a little, as Deidara gently wiped the sweat from her face with his sleeve, as she panted quietly. Sasori looked towards her ankle then towards the snake and let out a agitated sigh. "He's poisoned her." Chikaku gripped Dei's cloak, and curled up against him letting out a pain filled growl. Sasori looked over at the blonde, before looking back at Chika. "We need to get her back to that shop."

"But, Sasori... Wouldn't that be dangerous?" Deidara muttered, before, lifting her up a little more. "If the snake is here... Then someone has to be close by..."

"D-dei..." His gaze turned towards her, as she smiled. "D-do, what he s-says... P-please?"

She tightened her grip, when she felt it loosening, as Deidara nodded, and lifted her off the ground, and into her arms.

Sasori picked up the snake, and they climbed onto the bird, heading to the tea house. Soon as the bird landed, they both headed into the tea house, Deidara laying her onto one of the tables, as Sasori apologized for the rough intrusion, but the women let it go, after seeing the Chikaku's condition, and told Sasori, to do what he pleased, to help the young girl.

"We need an antidote..." Sasori mumbled, as the old lady went to get a cold flannel and some water. When she came back, she set the bowl on a table, and waved her hand when Sasori thanked her kindly. Sasori turned back to the women quickly before she disappeared, "Ahh. Could you bring me a sake dish please, if you have one?"

The old women nodded as Sasori turned back towards them two of them, Dei leaned over his old student, before wiping the sweat away. "Deidara. You are going to have to suck the poison out." Blinking as, the blonde just stared at him like he was crazy, though when the former Iwa shinobi noticed his partner was absolutely serious, Deidara soon blushed, a faint dark red.

Nodding, Deidara sat down as the lady came back with two sake dishes. "Thank you again." Sasori mumbled, as he moved to stand near Deidara. Chikaki flinched when, Dei had to cut where she was bitten a little more. When, he had Chika covered her mouth, a bit, to silence anything that tried to force its way out. Deidara on the other hand, was sitting there, doing what Sasori had told to do, trying not to mess with Chika, because of, how she would flinch and shiver, every time his mouth, was against the cut.

When Sasori had enough poison to examine in one dish, he left the other for Deidara to finish put the rest of the poison. Once he thought he had most of the poison out of her system, Chika, with the blonde's help, sat up, and examined her leg using her medical jutsu skills. Nodding, slowly, she leaned against the teen.

"M-most of i-its gone." Muttering faintly, as Sasori turned towards the two.

"Then rest a little, Chi."

Chikaku nodded, as she wrapped her arms around Deidara's middle, gripping the back of his cloak, tightly, well as tight as she could. As Dei sat down, he lifted her on to his lap, and soon enough, Chika was asleep. Her head resting on his shoulder, whilst Deidara's arms, were wrapped around Chika, to keep her steady, and refraining, her from falling, as she rested. Whilst Sasori tried to find ways of making an antidote, since they didn't know how badly this poison could be, he worked as fast as possible, with the help of the lady who owns the tea house.

Chikaku soon stirred a little on his lap, coughing, before breathing much faster. Trembling a little she gripped his cloak more. As she mumbled a few quiet words, that were difficult for even Deiara to hear. Her cheeks flustered, as she gasped before relaxing slightly. Sasori began to work more harder on the antidote, hating to see his former student in such pain. Deidara, stroked her hair, before grabbing the cloth and wiped the girls forehead, from the sweat that was building up. Her eyes slightly opened, as she muttered a few more things, though Dei still couldn't hear her. He continued wiping the sweat away, before he glanced towards Sasori. Gritting his teeth, when he saw that his partner still hadn't found an antidote yet. Chika felt her grip slightly loosen around the blonde, though she tried to gain it back, she couldn't, the Dei wrapped his arms around the girl tighter, before he felt her grip loosen more.

"S-Sasori... Her grip is loosening, a little too much."

A small growl came from the elder, making the younger one flinch slightly, frowning, as he rested his head on Chi's head. He could feel her breath becoming fainter and soon gripped the back of her shirt, holding her closer to him. The shop owner slightly panicked inside, seeing the female grow weaker by the second. As Sasori still compared newly made 'antidotes' in hope that one would at least react to the poison. Why did that snake bastard make his poisons so difficult to make antidotes to? Turning to the women, he asked for a few more plants and herbs, he needed to see what herbs could do what, and if they would be good enough for a antidote. He had to make sure none of the herbs used in the antidote cancelled another out, or reacted too much with another herb in his antidotes. The women nodded and went to grab some herbs that Sasori didn't think she would have, until she returned with the herbs. The blonde looked round at Sasori, before hearing his name quietly muttered, his blue orbs connected with dimmed purple ones. His hand went straight to the pulse on her neck, before he laid her on the table, as Sasori made his way over to them. Handing the antidote to Deidara, he soon went to make a few more, whilst Dei repeated the same actions as he did so before, to get the poison out, instead he made sure the antidote went into the wound.

She didn't know how long she had been out after the incident, but when she lifted herself up she looked around noticing she was the only one around. Blinking, she tilted her head, and slipped off the table, before leaving the tea house. Her gaze still looking around, seeing no one anywhere. Her purple orbs widened, as she began to panic slightly, wrapping her arms around herself, she blinked and looked down at the cloak slung over her. It wasn't an Akatsuki cloak... So... Where did she... Get it from? At that moment, she didn't feel the tightness around her body, until it literally felt like her arms were going to break. Releasing an almost blood curling scream, Chikaku fell to the ground, as she trembled, her eyes half-lidded, as she gritted her teeth at the man, in front of her. Only a few thoughts ran through her head before she passed out, then picked up and slung over the other's shoulder.

Where were Sasori and Deidara?

Why was she alone again?

-x-x-x-x-

Meanwhile, Sasori made his way back to the tea house, after searching the area ahead for anyone who would cause trouble for them all. Having just healed Chika, made the trio much more vulnerable, and a higher target. Deidara, was searching the sky, further out into the distance, Sasori didn't want to check so far, so he made Deidara go, even if the blonde refused so many times. Once he reached the tea house, he walked into the main section and stopped, seeing the place empty. Both akatsuki members specifically asked the owner of the shop to keep an eye on the unconscious Chikaku... But neither one was there.

So where were both of them?

Why was it so eerily quiet?

Once the blonde had arrived back, Sasori was already waiting outside, his head lowered and his hat covering his eyes. Blinking, Dei jumped off the bird, not like the feeling his gut was giving him one bit. He stopped after a few steps and stared towards his partner, before his eyes widened, and he instantly headed into the shop, holding the frame of the entrance, when his gaze took in the empty house. He turned and faced Sasori, frowning as he glared.

"I told you. We shouldn't have trust that women!"

(A/N) This is going to move into where its based around Orochimaru, Sasuke, Kabuto and that lot. After kidnapping Chikaku. Chika is a hostage, and a test subject, so there will be a few unsightly sections from here on out, and probably the next chapter.

It was quiet. Like really quiet. There wasn't any sounds around her that she could pick up. Her body felt heavy, and it was somewhat.. Hard to breath. The eyes slowly opened, before closing again. Before she opened her eyes partially. Staring at the person on the opposite her. Blinking. Opening her mouth, and now she realized what a stupid move it was. Her body trembled as she chocked on the water, her arms not going any higher than her abdomen, as the chains rattled and cuffs around her wrists clinked together. Her vision blurring again as she kicked her legs the best she could, just to find out they were cuffed as well. Her eyes closed, as the last few bubbles left her mouth before she fell unconscious once more. The person standing in front of the tank, grinned sadistically towards her knocked-out form. Wondering what the two she was with would do to get her back.

Coughing slightly, this time the girl woke up to someone drying her hair. Her arms felt really heavy, like as if there was no blood in them. She felt weak all over. Opening her eyes again, she lifted her head and blinked, before the purple orbs widened. Tear's slowly building up in the corner of her eyes. "S-s-sas-uk-k-ke..." Sniffling, the chains clattered as she went to hug the other, just to be pulled back towards the wall, hissing as the rocky wall scraped against her back a little. The raven-haired teen, placed a finger on his lips telling her to be quiet, before pointing behind him slightly, at the two people who were on the other side of the room.

"Quiet." A single nod, as he continued to dry her head. "They're looking for you... Right now... Just wait a little longer."

The red-haired girl, gulped faintly, as she lifted her head the best she could, her body still felt heavy from being stuck in the water tank, for god knows how long. She felt Sasuke ruffle her hair before walking away, her body shivering faintly. Now, she knew that Sasori and Deidara were looking for her, she wasn't as worried, but still worried, because Orochimaru knows how to hide. His hideouts are usually hidden pretty well. She had more important things to worry about right now, like Orochimaru. He obviously had everything planned out, just for her kekkai genkai. So even as said man made his way over to her, almost dead like, she couldn't help the shiver that ran down her spine in fear and almost disgust. As soon as he reached her, he knelt down in front of her, Chikaku slowly lifted her head and glared at the man, just for him to lick his lips at the given glare. Her eyes flickered to his hand, before back to his face, and as soon as it got to close to her face, she snapped and lashed out the best she could to bite him.

"Don't even think of touching me!"

Hand drawn back he stood up and frowned, before walking away whispering something to Kabuto as he passed the boy, her gaze never left the snake shinobi, until she felt her head snap to the side, her eyes widened, as she trembled, before her head was forcefully turned back towards the one in front of her. Cheeks and chin, held in a tight grasp, as her eyebrows furrowed a little. Drawing her legs closer to herself, as her pupils trembled. She wasn't liking this. Her body flinched, when she felt the needle prick her skin, releasing her face, as it dropped a little, her trembles halted, as she stared at the man. He paralysed her, but that wasn't all.

Only now, Chikaku was noticing the snakes around her. She had unknowingly been under this genjutsu and still hadn't realised this. Though it did explain why her body felt heavy constantly. Her voice was trapped in her throat, as her eyes widened, feeling the snakes crush her legs. Her eyes started to tear up, as both men stood at a safe distance, watching the scene unfold. Then she began to scream, though, even though he wasn't in the room, Sasuke had to cover his ears. The almost blood-curling scream mixed with the girls cries was enough to make anyone scream in fear. Closing her eyes Chikaku panicked, the paralyser wearing off, she trembled and pulled against the chains, as she shook her head. Everywhere but her head was covered in snakes, as she stared towards Orochimaru. Trying to pull the chains away, she shook her head. Feeling light headed, as her body froze. Her cries came out as chokes. Everything felt like it was being crushed. Though the snake shinobi's eyes narrowed at the name that left the girls lips as a choked sob, before he sent Kabuto to release the girl from the genjutsu.

When the Uchiha entered the room, he looked towards Orochimaru, before turning towards Kabuto who was walking towards them. His eyes widen at the girl. Her body was covered in grazes from the rough surfaces surrounding her, as she had constantly resisted against her restrains, and trying to escape what the genjutsu was showing her. By the looks of it, Sasuke figured it was the Crushing Snake one. Her wrists were slightly bleeding from the constant rubbing against the cuffs. The Uchiha lowered his head away from her form, as Orochimaru noticed the action, but didn't say anything. After all, he did know about how the two used to be friends, before Sasuke had joined with him.

"Kabuto. Once everything is ready, begin the experiment straight away."

"Yes, Orochimaru-sama."

The obsidian gaze turned back to the girls motionless body. The only thing that told you she was alive, was the movement of her chest indicating that she was breathing. Orochimaru turned towards Sasuke, as the boy looked towards the man. His gaze cold and stern. Even if he hardly showed it through words of how he cared about people, and his eyes never showed much of his feelings. They were now, and he wasn't too pleased at the jutsu that Orochimaru had used on his former friend.

"Find Sasori and Deidara." The snake hissed out before turning and retreating. "And dispose of them. I can't have her escaping."

Nodding, he walked over to the girl, and crouched down in front of her, using his sleeve, he removed the trails of tears from her face, before seeing the eyes slightly open, and stare at him, she tried to speak, but her voice cracked at the first and single letter. And as much as it pissed Sasuke off, at what she was trying to say, he knew that she didn't trust anyone but the blonde Akatsuki member and the puppet ninja. He heard her coughing, before he softly hugged her, and quietly muttered sorry to the girl. Her eyes teared up slightly as she gritted her teeth.

"D-d-don't... H-hu-hurt t-them..." Coughing again, she trembled before biting his shoulder a little. "P-pl-please... S-sasuke..."

She felt him flinch, after she bit him, but didn't do anything, except move away and ruffle her hair again. She pulled against the chains, causing the cuffs to rub against the previously created wounds. Shaking her head, she trembled closing her eyes tightly as she screamed at the retreating form, her voice hoarse and rough, from her previous screaming and crying. "S-Sasuke! Y-you bastard!" As he left, Kabuto looked towards her, as her eyes widened in panic, her body trembled with paranoia.

"D-DON'T TOUCH THEM!"