Chapter Nine: A Town Bright with Color
She reached over to close the distance between them and wrapped her hand around his, not noticing as he went rigid beneath her touch. "Oh," she slipped her fingers from his hand almost immediately. "Deidara," she breathed looking at the bright red smear on her fingertips. "You're bleeding."
The entire event happened in a mere few seconds, but for Jin, who watched as a sopping tongue flickered after her blood-stained fingertips, it felt like it lasted an eternity. She froze on the spot, hand still held out in front of her for observation, but her gaze was distant and pale, like she'd seen a ghost. Deidara immediately snapped his hand shut but it was too late, he knew that. She had already seen it. "Is that…?"
Impossible, she thought. Slowly, she slid her eyes to meet Deidara's. The fear was evident in his face. His mouth, slightly parted, moved as if to say something but words never met his tongue. It was all the confirmation she needed. Her hand trembled as she turned it over, extending it to him. "Let me see it," she said beneath her breath.
"You won't like it, it's not normal." He sounded like he wanted to be sure of himself but his voice trembled at the prospect of rejection. "It's a side-effect of the kinjutsu, I didn't know-"
"Let me see it," she said again with a little more force. Very carefully, Deidara lowered his hand into hers, his eyes relentlessly searching her face for a reaction. Her fingers trembled over his closed hand and she gently guided his fingers open. There was a small mound in the center of his palm, blood crusted through the seam of it and began to bubble at the corners. The mound widened and slowly began to open. Deidara wincing as it did so. She watched in morbid fascination as a set of human teeth revealed themselves with the curl of its lip, a thick tongue squirming out behind them. It smiled at her, much to her disbelief, and she jumped from his touch as if it had shocked her. "How is that possible?" She gasped. Deidara looked visibly hurt and he yanked his hand back up to his chest, folding his hand into the other and holding them over his heart.
"I know as much about it as you do," he snapped, looking miffed. She looked over at him incredulously but decided it would do no good to try to explain how very warranted her reaction had been. Her stare flickered to his closely guarded hands.
"Do you have them in both of your palms?" He gave a short nod and she pulled her mouth in tight. She had just started feeling like nothing could surprise her at this point but that was evidently untrue. An uncomfortable mixture of revulsion and shock upset her stomach but she tried hard not to let it reach her features. Deidara looked upset and self-conscious, something she hadn't meant to do but she knew it was in her best interests to fix it. Her small hand reached forward and she laid it against his own clasped hands. He flashed her an accusatory sideways glance but she ignored it and smiled back at him. "I'm sorry, it just surprised me is all." He sighed and shook his head, dropping his hands to his lap.
"No, I get it. I'm disgusting."
"Nonsense," she quipped "You're as lovely as ever." He snorted but a smile touched his lips regardless. Jin leaned over and brushed the hair from his face, tucking it behind his ear. His upturned eyes were warm with appreciation and he leaned into her touch. For a moment, with her hand to his cheek, everything felt as normal as any other day they spent together. But that too was soon taken away as a black bird came fluttering into the clearing with a scroll attached to its leg, reminding her that life would never be as it once was.
"Ah," Deidara pulled away from her and stood up, catching the bird on an outstretched arm. "It's here." Jin watched as he unlatched the scroll and the bird flew back into the air, disappearing into the thick brush of the trees above. He read the scroll several times over and then nodded, rolling it back up and placing it into his pocket. "Come on, we've got business elsewhere." He shouldered his bag and strutted over to the bird. His confidence seemed to have returned in full, she thought flatly.
"What was in the scroll?" She asked as she picked up her own bag, following him.
"Don't worry about it," He had hopped on the bird and turned to help Jin upwards, only to find her midway to him. She had stopped and was shooting him an impatient glare.
"You keep using the word 'we', that means you're including me in this. I think that means I deserve to be kept up to date with whatever 'we're' going to be doing."
Deidara blinked and then smirked at her newfound stubborn nature. He kind of liked it. "Are you implying that we're some sort of team?"
"No, you're implying that. And I'm going along with it. I'm capable of helping, er, I think." She immediately realized she had no idea what his business even was. She had a feeling she'd regret her eagerness to be included if he obliged. Deidara looked upwards, tapping his lip with his finger as if mulling the idea over.
"Alright, fine. But we're going to have some ground rules. Come on, I'll explain." Her stomach flipped and she begrudgingly went forward, grabbing the clay bird and pulling herself upwards. She ignored Deidara's extended hand as if to prove that she was as capable of handling herself as she projected (and also because she wasn't too keen on getting anywhere near that mouth just yet). The bird jolted upwards as soon as she got comfortable and an unsuspecting scream left her. Deidara laughed and Jin wanted to point out that she didn't have chakra to keep her grounded to the vessel but opted for silence instead. "So, rules, rules..." He mused when they leveled out in the sky and moved west. His long blonde hair fluttered in the wind and she had to admit, he looked much happier than she'd seen him yet. It brought a small smile to her face as his happiness fueled her own. "First rule," he straightened himself out and held up a single finger, trying to mimic a figure of authority. "There is to be no objection to anything we do. In many ways," he said teasingly. "I'm like your boss now, hm."
Jin raised her hand to ask a question and Deidara pointed at her. "What is it we'll be doing exactly?" His smirk reappeared, he was so glad she asked.
"We've got to make money, don't we? Well, it just so happens that my talents can make us money." He pulled out the scroll he'd just received and tossed it to her. "Here's our first job."
She caught the scroll before the rushing wind did. Opening it, she scanned the words, having to read them twice before she could fully understand. "Who is this guy?"
"Crime boss, owns a network of nightclubs and casinos across the land, real nasty guy from what I've heard."
She frowned and closed the scroll. "And they're going to pay you for killing him?" He nodded, almost looking proud of that statement. Jin was uncomfortable. She searched her mind for anything that would ease the tremendous black hole of guilt that was beginning to form inside of her. "And…are these people that you're going to- are they all going to be bad people?" Deidara curiously looked the girl over. Her eyes were low and burdened. Moving to crouch in front of her, gently, he placed his fingers alongside her jaw and tilted her head upwards. There was a kindness to his form, something warm.
"They're the worst."
She knew that wasn't true, she had known before she asked. But the fact that Deidara chose to comfort her with words he knew she wanted to hear helped her considerably. She gave a small nod and then turned her head upwards. "Rule number two?"
Deidara's list of rules were as follows. Number two was that she was to listen to anything Deidara said or told her to do, without question, as soon as he said it. Number three was that if she were left alone she was to not speak to anybody and to stay put where Deidara had left her and number four was that he could change and add to the rules as he pleased, no objections. She listened carefully, nodding as he went. "Any questions?" He asked as he finished touting his self-importance.
She grew a little self-conscious, she was getting ahead of herself. "How am I supposed to help you? I can't do much." Deidara of course had already known this.
"You are very important," he said firmly as if to reinforce the idea within her. "You will take care of me, help me ready my materials so that I can focus on the job, and if we need you to, you'll be the bait."
"Bait?" She whimpered pathetically.
Deidara flipped his hand up carelessly. "It sounds worse than it is. Different targets will need to be handled per the situation. Some of them we might need to draw out or get alone, most of them I'll be able to handle myself though." He caught the look of fright on her face and grinned. "Don't be so worried, onna! I promise you'll be safe at all times. What kind of boss would I be if you weren't?" She gave a weak laugh and nodded. "But just in case, in our down time, I'd like to teach you some things. Nothing major, just some basic self-defense. I won't be able to watch you all of the time."
"I see," she looked over to watch the world around them drift by. It was as beautiful as she had always imagined it to be, so wide and seamless in its transition from terrain to terrain. Deidara had indeed kept his word, she would see it all now. Jin turned back toward Deidara with a look of quiet determination. "I'll do my best, for you." She bowed her head and turned back up to see him broadly smiling down at her. His joy was contagious and she soon found herself unable to keep her own face straight. Stupid in love, she'd follow Deidara to the end of the earth if he let her.
They flew in silence for a long while. Jin had moved to lay on her stomach, watching as the ground blurred beneath them, her copper hair a wild halo around her head. Deidara had his eyes closed peacefully as he reclined against the neck of the bird, his mind picking apart the last few days' events.
Things were going well, well enough as they probably could anyway. Jin was coming around, even if it was only her drive to please him that made her so accepting, that was fine by him. He was still confident that she'd learn to find the same kind of beauty in it as he did. In the meantime, he was just thankful she was still there and no longer shrinking in fear when he looked at her. Such a sensitive thing, he was supposed to be the one thing she wasn't afraid of. He had to remind himself that she was not wise to the way shinobi worked, or how anything functioned outside her small sphere of uneventful existence. She didn't know violence or chaos, had no idea that it was often kill or be killed in the world they inhabited. In time she'd discover this, as much as he wished to avoid that, by his side that would become inevitable. Her purity was something special and he wanted to keep her that way, but people like her also broke easily and one wrong turn of events could smother out that sweet nature of hers, turning her into a shell of her former self. He had to tread carefully, get his temper in check and remind himself that in time things often had a way of coming full circle, he just had to be patient was all.
It wasn't until the sun was near setting that they finally began to descend towards the ground. The terrain that surrounded this new area was even colder than the one they'd left. Much like home, everything was a drab shade of grey or brown, the winds were slight but had no problem penetrating through clothes and skin alike, straight to the bone. Jin's face had long since been numb, but now it bordered on painful. Deidara had been thoughtful enough to pack for colder weather, but even what he had brought wasn't enough to keep the biting chill out. "We'll have to walk from here," he said suddenly, watching the surrounding area seriously as the bird sank lower to the ground.
"W-what's the plan then?" Jin stuttered as she pulled her jacket tighter against her neck.
"We won't make the move tonight, it's too late now." The bird landed softly on the ground and Deidara wasted no time in hopping off. He held out a hand to Jin who took a brief second to eye his hand curiously before giving in and taking it. Her body felt stiff and she didn't trust herself not to go stumbling down if she tried to get off by herself. "I've got a few things to do before I call it a night, you can go get us a room in the meantime." He signaled the bird away and threw his bag on, Jin followed suit and they began walking down a mangled unkempt path, surrounded by spiny black brush and crawling tendrils of purple ivy.
It took them twenty minutes to make it to the gates of a small village. Unlike Iwagakure, this village lacked the looming walls to keep intruders out. As they walked through the archway, Jin also noted the lack of shinobi surveying the area. "Where are we?" She asked, studying the gold and red tags that fluttered on the sides of the lampposts that lined the streets.
"It's a tourist trap, nothing but gambling and bars here."
"So there's no shinobi?"
Deidara laughed and shook his head. "No, this place is run by sharks" He turned towards Jin who was still looking curiously around. "And you better watch out because I heard they love pretty little girls who've run away from home," he teased as he grabbed at her sides, she slapped his hands away lightly with a scowl and he gave another loud bite of laughter.
"You're terrible," she huffed, feeling a small tug of amusement at her lips.
The farther they walked into town the louder it got. They were walking past rows of businesses now, lit up on both the inside and outside with flashing lights of various colors adorning the roofs. Cigarette smoke filtered out of most establishments, along with drunk, dizzy older men that would spend the rest of their night stumbling from place to place. Deidara came to a sudden halt and looked around. "Alright," he said as he pulled a small bag out from his hip pouch. He withdrew a small bundle of money and he handed it to Jin. "There's a motel two blocks up that way. Get us a room under the name Odaka. I'll be back in less than two hours. Don't talk to anyone you don't have to."
She nodded and he leaned forward and kissed her forehead goodbye. She wanted to tell him to be safe but at this point the words felt shallow and instead, she turned around and began walking.
The noise level kept consistent the further down she went and she was surprised by the size and liveliness of the small town. It was unlike anything she'd ever seen, even the seediest parts of Iwa didn't look as grimy as this place did. When she reached the hotel, small groups were gathered outside of it. Some held drinks in their hands and others sloshed theirs on the ground and on themselves as they puffed on cigarettes and told slurred stories to one another. While some cast Jin a curious look, most of them ignored her as she hurried through the sliding door to the motel.
A young woman at the counter with a face full of makeup and a low cut, tightly worn dress raised an eyebrow as Jin approached. It was obvious Jin didn't fit the mold of her typical customer. "H-hi," Jin said clumsily. She cleared her throat and tried again. "I need a room for tonight. One bed is fine, and can you put that under Odaka? Thank you." The woman gave a curt nod and turned to her books.
The lobby was just as garish as the rest of the town was. The walls were covered in fliers and ads, most of them advertising a night with young women or security services for serious travelers. The woman clinked a pair of keys on the counter and Jin fumbled with the money.
"Thank you," she bowed hastily and the woman watched with a look of concern as Jin took off down the hall. When she reached the room, she unlocked the door and hurried in, having not realized she was holding her breath until she took a deep gulp of air against the wall. The light filtering in through the dirty windows was a deep, burnt orange. It cast an ominous burning glow around the room, which didn't need any help in looking uninviting in the first place.
She dropped her bag to the floor and took one more deep breath before sitting on the edge of the bed. Her senses felt overwhelmed with fear and anxiety but she knew it was something she'd have to start getting used to if she was going to be able to keep up with Deidara.
Such as it was to be in love.
A/N: If you care about me at all you'll go check out my new Akatsuki story and show it some tender loving.
