I was very lucky that we left before Hidan had fully recovered. Deidara was far more friendly towards me since the incident. He didn't seem to care that Hidan was going to kill me for that 'hilarious shit'. I think he hated Hidan and was glad for some humiliation and retribution. He chattered to me as we walked away under the full moon. He told me that they had a mission to return to and that it was several villages away. He had a good long laugh over that. I myself was more worried than triumphant. More than anything else, I needed to escape and make my way to safety till Shikamaru killed the bastard because I got the feeling that Hidan wasn't against killing me if he could get away with it. I glanced over to see Deidara walking, while looking up at the stars, his face bathed in moonlight. It was a romantic sight. He still wasn't wearing his cloak and his skin looked as pale as the moon beneath his mesh shirt. I was suddenly reminded just how young Deidara really was. We were about the same age. Remembering him rolling on the ground laughing, I guessed maybe I was more mature though but then again ...ok, maybe not more mature. I smiled.

'Stop yeah. We're far enough from the village, un.' He stuck his hand in his clay pouch and pulled it out to reveal his hand-mouth chewing. For a split second, I wondered if he was planning to blow me up after all but when he released his creation, it grew and became a creature that looked sort of dragon-ish. Before I could protest, he grabbed me around the waist and hoisted me unto it. I got no warning as the thing flapped its wings and ascended and I was pressed down by the force and speed of the ascent. I fell to my knees and placed my hands at my sides, palms flat, balancing myself as best I could. He was standing with his arms out as the wind tugged his hair back. The moon was off to the left of his head and he looked like a gorgeous golden god in black fishnet and capris. The bird took a hard left and I was pitched roughly to the side. I felt my body leave the clay and I squealed in alarm. I rolled and saw the ground below me. Just as I was about to go over the edge, I felt a very strong arm grab me. I was pulled hard against Deidara's side with his arm around my waist. I was breathing hard from the shock but I could feel my face heat at his proximity. He bent low, and put his lips against my ear,

'Don't get any ideas, yeah, I can't have you falling off now can I?'

His breath was hot with a hint of some kind of sweet liquor. He was grinning as he turned away. The dragon thing dived sharply and I wrapped my arms around him, pressing myself closer. The bastard was laughing, I could feel his chest vibrate, but I was too scared to speak. I had a feeling that this was going to be the worst flight of my life.

Sam made it to Konoha in two days flat. He had travelled without rest and almost no food and water. The gates of the hidden village loomed ahead of him but when he reached within twenty feet of it, he suddenly collapsed. Within moments his vision flickered black. When he opened his eyes, he was looking up at a low ceiling of what was obviously a hospital, he had seen enough in his younger life to know it intrinsically even if it wasn't like any hospital he had ever seen in his life. Within minutes of awakening there was a knock on the door and in walked one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen. She wasn't particularly tall but she would have stood out anywhere. She had pink hair and jade coloured eyes. He chastised himself for thinking like that when he didn't know whether Erica was alive or not. While she checked his chart, he sat up and began to remove the IV from his arm.

'What are you doing?' She asked

'I need to get out of here, I have to see the Hokage.' He turned to face her as the IV came loose from his flesh. 'Do you know where I can find him?'

She was looking at him curiously and a little wearily now.

'What do you want with the Hokage? You're a civilian. If you have a mission, you have to request it at the Services building not to the Hokage.'

He stood up and instantly began looking for his shoes and clothes, ignoring the feel of air on his bare backside.

'I need to see the Hokage himself, it's not about a mission, well not directly anyway. I need his help and I think I may have information that he needs to know.' He found his clothes in the drawers built into the nightstand. He began pulling them on, again ignoring her presence. If she was a nurse, as she probably was, she would have seen everything already.

When he had his pants on, he turned to find her leaning her hip on the bed and observing his cautiously. He failed to notice that there was a little more blood in her face than when she had walked in.

'What information?'

He pulled his shirt on and began buttoning it.

'I have no reason to tell you anything, plus it might put you in a dangerous position if anything goes wrong, so I'd rather not. Are you a nurse here or a candy striper or something?'

He contemplated putting on the sweater and decided against it.

'No,' she replied 'I'm a doctor. My name is Haruno Sakura and I am the apprentice to the current Hokage. You had better tell me what information you have or I'm going to have to put you back in that hospital bed.'

He had been pulling on his shoes when she delivered this rather unbelievable statement. He looked up at the girl who wasn't even 5"6' and couldn't weigh more than 120 pounds. It was extremely hard to believe that she was a threat but watching as her eyes hardened and her hands clenched and relaxed, he was tempted to believe her.

'I'm sorry but I am not telling you anything.'

'Wrong choice.'