Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me. At least, not that I know of.
A/N: Wow, my 11th chapter…I've been pleased with the response to this story. Thanks to all my faithful reviews, keep it up! And now, on to the chapter!
Deidara did not prove difficult to locate. The deafening explosions could be heard from miles away. Itachi came into sight of the hideout Deidara was staying at just in time to see a remarkably realistic clay replica of the fifth Hokage blow itself to smithereens. Indecipherable screams followed and a miniature replica of Konoha met a similar tragic end.
Itachi observed the out-of-control carnage, smiled to himself, and shifted into position. Clearly Deidara would settle down anytime soon. He was only doing this for Deidara's own good…
When Deidara regained consciousness some hours later, he found himself splayed on a cold floor, head throbbing. Itachi head the rustling and rose from where he had been crouching in the shadowy corner; Deidara had to envy his seemingly effortless criminal instincts.
The pain in Deidara's head took a particularly nasty throb, and let loose a slur of cursing through three mouths. He never knew he could do that. Itachi took no heed of Deidara's foul mouth, and simply loomed over him until the stream of cusses ceased. When Deidara was through, Itachi spoke softly, choosing his words carefully."
"You can see her again." he stated. There was no need to specify who he was talking about. Deidara's eyes snapped up to meet Itachi's and narrowed. If this was some kind of cruel joke, he would see Itachi dead.
"I think I have a plan." Itachi continued. The lack of information was beginning to get at Deidara; he had never been patient. A tiny clay bug exploded next to Itachi's ear, but he didn't flinch.
"Konoha are planning a festival to mark the Rain's temporary retreat. The commotion could be the perfect opportunity." Itachi explained. The tiny explosion had hurt more than he let on.
Several minor explosions and one bout of a near-coma later, Deidara and Itachi had a loose plan. They would sneak out to the outer wall of Konoha the day of the festival. Itachi was to hypnotize the gate guards into ignoring any movement on the city limits, and Deidara would have a small clay bird deliver a single cherry blossom to Sakura. Then, in what was to be he riskiest part of the scheme, Deidara would have to scale the wall and leap down inside Konoha. What happened next was anyone's guess; they had no way of knowing whether Sakura would understand the meaning of the blossom. However, it was their only choice.
And so the days before the festival passed, and they crept by slowly indeed. While the brief time they had spent in the tent seemed like a lifetime ago, the time they spent separated seemed to fill all of existence. Deidara bombarded small animals with bombs out of sheer restlessness. Sakura could not bring herself to leave her room. But life had to go on, and as they hours ticked away, the doubt began to set in; was Deidara really going to risk execution for a girl he had known for only weeks? Was Sakura wise to compromise her career as a ninja for a mere criminal she barely knew? Memories of their time together, even that last night together, began to fade.
Dawn broke on the day of the festival, and Sakura was lying awake as she usually did, thoughts racing. First, she relived her memories of Deidara. It all seemed to surreal to her; how was she to know if they were really in love or not? And then there was Sasuke. She had loved him for years; could she really forget him so quickly?
Her thoughts were interrupted but a flicker at the windowsill. By the time she had risen and gone to investigate, there was nothing there but a single cherry blossom resting on the windowsill. A tear slipped down her cheek. Even the wind was mocking her, blowing this flower onto her windowsill for her to find. For Sakura did not see the little sparrow fall as Deidara's chakra ran out and it crumbled away to clay.
The remainder of the day saw a great deal of hustling and bustling about the streets of Konoha. It seemed that every citizen was busy, stringing decorations, tuning instruments, or simply trying to get themselves looking their best. Through all the commotion, Sakura sat in her room. The sun was beginning to set in it's wide arc, and still she had barely moved. A great cheering erupted from the village's heart, marking the beginning of the festivities; Sakura glowered at the flower in her hand.
" I won' t listen to you." she snarled at it, and rose from her bed to join the festival. She would move on and get on with her life.
Sakura hurried through the deserted streets. She was frightened of joining in a celebration and rejoicing, but perhaps it was for the best. She could no longer cling to her hope that Deidara had truly loved her.
There! An unusual shape silhouetted on the city wall! What could it be? The young girl stared at it, transfixed, not daring to look away. The shape straightened up, and the win d caught it, taking Sakura's words with it at the same instance. It was a man, dressed in a long cloak, with a long ponytail and wisps of hair in disarray from the wind. A large leather pouch was strapped to his waist, and his hand fumbled nervously with the zipper.
It was Deidara.
Before Sakura had time to react, a quiet curse stood out against the distant cheers, and Deidara began to fall. He landed a split second later nestled safely in Sakura's arms.
"I knew it was a good idea to let you live, un." he laughed up at her. She said nothing, but lowered him to his feet. She spent a minute just staring at him, taking in the sight of him, accepting that he was really there. Then a laugh escaped her and she flung her hands around his neck.
"You idiot!" she chided softly. Deidara grinned sheepishly over her shoulder.
"I'm a criminal; what do I care for rules?" he replied. Sakura withdrew her hands and looked up at him. Her voice wavered as she said "I didn't think….I'd ever see you again…..I wondered if….we ever truly cared for each other….."
"Shut up, un." Deidara silenced her, and pressed his mouth to hers. She gave in, wrapping her arms firmly around his thin torso. For a second, everything was all right. She had Deidara back, if just for the moment. He was there in Konoha; he had come to find her, and no one was there to tell them that the love of a criminal and medic could not be.
They went further, letting their emotions guide them. Frustrated hormones awakened, seizing the opportunity. Right where they stood, Deidara's added mouths nipped and tugged at Sakura's clothes, and her hands delved into the seam of his Akatsuki uniform.
That made it all the more awkward when they realized that the alley they stood in what not so empty.
A/N: I don't update for weeks, and then I leave a major cliff-hanger. Ah, I am evil.
Seriously though, I am sorry for the long wait. Homework, school, friends, extracurricular…….I've been busy. I'm going to try to get the next one up faster, after all, I can't leave you hanging there, can I?
I mentioned this at the start, but reviews would be fantastic. Seriously. You have no idea.
