A/N: I'm sorry; I made you wait longer for this story than any of my other fanfics… This chapter is a little shorter because I really just wanted to get something up. My life has been busy lately… with all the stupid snow and stuff. Anyway… hope you enjoy. This is a present to you for my birthday. XD
Deidara was starting to wonder if his efforts were in vain. He had caught some of Sasori's distinct chakra with a large chakra net he had cast a while ago, so he had pursued it.
Now the redhead's chakra seemed so far away, and it flickered in out of his range. In less than an hour of searching in the bitter cold, Sasori's presence had dimmed down so much that Deidara wasn't even sure he was on the right track.
The blond hoped that Sasori was simply far away, that being the reason his chakra was nearly undetectable, but he couldn't help but fear the worst.
Deidara stopped on a nearby leafless branch for a rest. Casting that net had taken a lot of his chakra, and he wanted to make sure he had enough if the situation demanded it.
Even though Deidara knew the possible risks, he cleared off some of the snow that covered the branch and sat down. He took a deep breath and exhaled a puff of frozen vapor. His eyes slid shut for just a moment, and he continued to just breathe. To just calm down, to just not think about the problem at hand; he felt better already.
He opened his eyes a crack and leaned against the trunk of the tree, knowing he'd have to move soon. Deidara held his breath abruptly when he saw a familiar figure moving in the distance.
"Danna?!" The blond yelled to them. He stood up and, jumping down from the tree, ran towards the moving figure, only thinking it might be a trap when he was too close to turn back.
Deidara landed lightly in the powdery snow next to the puppet master's means of transportation and protection-Hiruko.
"Danna…?" He whispered to the puppet, coming alongside the old sand-nin's body. The blond knocked on the puppet and, hearing no answer, opened the small door and peered inside. Nothing.
I swore I saw it moving! The blond mused, frustrated and concerned. I must be close, at least…un.
Deidara had no doubts that Hiruko had indeed moved; his eyes had never failed him! He figured Sasori's captors had thrown the large puppet out of where they were hiding, to keep Sasori away from it.
The sculptor crept slowly behind a group of trees nearby, trying to make as little noise as possible, now wary of his surroundings. Behind frosty trunks, Deidara used his scope to investigate the area. The blond examined the forest; the wind making the trees sway and creak and snow fall with a thump to the ground before him.
He searched for a sign, anything that could give him the next clue, but the nearly silent woods were unforgiving. Deidara was losing hope, he wanted to just blow up the entire forest because it was too damn quiet, but he thought better of it, knowing that then he'd never find his Danna.
The ex-Iwa nin sighed and lowered his gaze to the ground a few feet in front of him. His blue eyes widened and he felt a smirk pulling at his lips. Off to the side of the clearing was a strangely large rock, leading up to it were light drag marks, almost covered up by falling snow.
Grinning at his enemies' stupid mistake, the blond emerged from his hiding place and crawled through the snow to the rock, feeling its surface carefully. No levers, no buttons, nothing. Putting his back on the rock, Deidara pushed off with his legs. He felt the rock sliding ever so slowly through the snow. With a deep breath, the blond pushed with all his might.
It moved about a foot more, revealing a hole underneath with just enough space for Deidara to squeeze through. Sliding down feet-first, Deidara hit solid ground after about a foot drop. Light streamed in through the entrance and Deidara could faintly make out where walls stood.
The room wasn't big, only about five people could squish in, and it was dark even with the sunlight coming through the opening. The blond spotted a door on the far wall and he felt his way over to it, pressing his ear against it when he did.
He held his breath and listened… and after a few moments of this decided no one was there and it was safe to go in; or at least peek. Opening the door just a crack, Deidara peered inside. Cheap lights hung from the ceiling, dimly lighting a room with a large wooded table and several metal folding chairs.
He crept in cautiously, his visible blue eye flicking around the room. The blond, ignoring the musty smell, brushed past the table and around a corner at the end of the room.
A metal door hung slightly ajar at the end of the corridor. Swallowing a lump in his throat, Deidara continued on warily. He padded lightly down the dim hall, keeping his breathing quiet.
As he approached the threshold; heavy, ragged breathing joined his quiet, frantic breaths. The sculptor pushed the door open with his shoe, and it creaked eerily on its hinges. The room was small and completely square. The stone walls kept in the cold, and the entire room was lit by a haphazard hanging bulb.
Several unconscious bodies lay crumpled on the floor near the walls; a few bruised and bleeding, and some already lying in a pool of the crimson liquid. Sasori lay in the middle, his messy, bright red hair visible among the chaos.
Sasori was clothed in a straight jacket and his ankles were shackled to the stone ground. He was curled up with his legs underneath him, his head bowed.
"Sasori no Danna?" Deidara called, taking a step into the cool room. Sasori's head shot up, his burgundy eyes wind and full of spite. His face was smudged with blood, and Deidara fought the urge to recoil.
The blond took cautious steps towards his partner and called out to him in what he hoped sounded like a reassuring voice, "Danna…? It's okay, un. It's just me, Deidara, un. It's over…un."
The look in Sasori's eyes make it obvious that he had indeed been the one who had killed or fought the men that lay motionless around the room. Sasori's mind, like many other shinobi, was still hazed from battle, and he took everything as a possible threat.
Deidara continued towards the redhead, holding his hands in view to show he wasn't armed. Sasori's eyes softened as the sculptor got closer, as if he was recognizing the blond, to which Deidara took great delight.
Sasori's long-lashed eyelids slid down lazily, and he looked almost like he always did. The redhead's uncontrollable shaking ceased and his ragged breathing slowed as well; to the blonde's relief. Deidara paused in mid-stride and furrowed his brow, his blue eyes wide with confusion and shock.
"D-Danna…?" He whispered, not able to keep his voice from shaking. Sasori coughed in response and straightened himself up a bit to look at Deidara without straining his neck.
"Dei…?" He asked hoarsely, squinting at the blond. Had the blond not been so focused on other things he would've paid more attention to the nickname, but Deidara still stood shocked and watched the steadying rise and fall of the redhead's chest.
"Danna… you're… breathing?"
Okay, sorry the ending kinda' cut off weird. And, yeah, I know it sucks.
Tell me how to improve!
And, gasp, another cliff hanger. Muahahaha, aren't I evil?
Review please! (and feel free to ask for some of the snow at my house…)
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