Oooh I think a lot of you will like this chapter...then again I haven't gotten any reviews--sniff. Except for Something541-thanks! So it's down to the dry bone now and Rai seems to be in it deep this time...Wonder what's gonna happen...No own-y Naruto.Finally able to turn her head slightly, eyes widened in utter horror. Suddenly she wished that the sannin would've killed her...

Fury cerulean eyes glared at the two remaining sound-nin. "Your life ends here...un."****************************Jet black cloak billowed from the after shock of the explosion. Crimson clouds danced on the fabric and golden locks beat gently from a top-knot.

Rai was speechless. How could this get any worse? There was no way. She stared in total shock at the blonde bomber's back. Just behind her were Tsunade and multiple other shinobi who watched the interaction with confused and livid expressions.

Meanwhile Orochimaru grinned to hide his own surprise and looked to the dissipating barrier. Though the large amount of chakra use had tired his body out, he refused to show it. He had hoped to give the white haired kunoichi a curse mark and take her with him...but he hadn't counted on an Akatsuki member to interrupt--least of all Deidara. (Hmmm...I wonder why )

"You think that you can kill Orochimaru," Kabuto chuckled and pushed his glasses back on the bridge of his nose. "I guess the saying was right...Blondes are stupid."

"Now, now, Kabuto. Play nicely." teased the Sannin. "Don't want him to explode on us."

"And what would you know about it, yeah?" Deidara asked through clenched teeth. His hands where already making use of the clay pockets inside his sleeves.

"Oh, I know a lot. Especially how it was Sasuke-kun who you had fought. He was supposed to have killed you yet here you stand."

"Guess that means that I have eight more lives, hm."

"You've been keeping a pretty close eye on Sasuke it seems," Kakashi added from his spot in front of Tsunade.

"Hmm. No more then usual, I suppose," he shrugged with his grin still in place.

"What are you planning? You aren't going to try and take over his body again, are you," Sakura asked as she healed Tsunade.

Before he could answer, Rai piped in, "No. Or else he would've gone after him long ago."

"Long ago?" Neji asked with narrowed Byakugan eyes. "You make it sound like you knew he was alive."

Rai adverted her gaze away and instead looked to the ground. Kakashi sighed. He knew what this meant...The elders would not be pleased with her and to make it worse, he knew there was more to the story. The bomber that now stood between them and Orochimaru was enough proof of that.

The sannin chuckled. "Of course she knew. She actually took something of mine."

"Well in that case, who cares," waved a fairly light hearted Gai. As far as he was concern, Tsunade was getting her strength back thanks to Sakura and there were multiple teams ready to take Orochimaru out. Why worry?

"I wouldn't have been able to get away if you hadn't allowed it...And it was my scroll." Rai defended.

"Enough, Rai. You don't have to explain to this snake, un." Deidara narrowed his eyes at the two men in front of him. "Now leave or I'll show you a piece of my art that your little student was too much of a pansy to handle, yeah."

Golden eyes narrowed and his grin faded. "Kabuto." The said man looked to him. "It's time to go. Our little game is done for the day."

"Game?" Tsunade stood to her feet with a smooth motion. Sakura made a move to protest, but stopped at her shishou's stern face. "You attacked the village just as a game?"

"Does this surprise you?" He chuckled again. "All I wanted was to show you that I was in fact alive. If I managed to kill the Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village, then that was an added bonus."

Tsunade clenched her fists, "Why you bastard-"

A bomb set off only two feet from Orochimaru's right side. "I suggest you leave, yeah."

"Wait..." Sakura stood up and walked next to Tsunade. "How are you still alive? And you're arms--how are you able to use them?"

Kabuto grinned and the light reflected off his glasses. "You aren't the only one whose been getting stronger, Sakura. In fact there is a lot that you don't know. A lot about that girl that you took in," he said referring to Rai, "that you don't know about. Perhaps you should ask her..."

All eyes turned on to Rai. "What do you mean?" she questioned as she shakily stood to her feet. The effects from his jutsu still warring off. "I didn't do anything."

"It's not what you did, but what you possess. That bloodline of yours is quite the technique." Orochimaru said. After only receiving a confused look, he added, "You didn't read the whole scroll now did you?" He chuckled when he didn't receive an answer. "Too bad...And here it's time for us to leave." He nodded to Kabuto and a poof of smoke later, only an empty side walk stood.

Tsunade stared at the spot with a scowl in place before looking to Rai and Deidara. An Anbu captain in a bird mask landed next to her before whispering something to her. A sigh escaped her and she rubbed her temples while closing her eyes. "Go ahead..."

Then next thing Deidara and Rai knew, they where both ambushed by three teams of Anbu before everything went black.

"What are we going to do with them?" Shizune asked from her spot next to Tsunade's desk.

"We can't over look it this time, Lady Hokage. The punishment is death...for both of them," demanded the village elder.

"We haven't even heard her story. All you are doing is assuming that she assisted Orochimaru and Akatsuki," the copy-cat ninja said. It was safe to say that he wasn't planning on allowing the elders to kill Rai.

Ibiki pushed off the wall that he was leaning on. "I agree. I will personally take over her interrogation before there is any arrangements, punishment or otherwise."

"You will do no such thing." The elder man twisted around in his chair to face Ibiki behind him. "Your connection with her will cloud your judgment." He scoffed and turned back to face Tsunade. "I'm sure that was her plan the whole time."

"That isn't true and you know it. I take my job seriously and if anyone will be able to get the truth from her, it's me."

"And if she refuses," pushed the elder woman. "What then, hm?"

"...If she lies then I will use any torture technique to get the answers, as long as we hear her story," he stated in monotone.

Tsunade sighed and shook her head. Ever since she had won the argument to allow Rai into the ranks, the elders had done anything and everything to find a reason to kill Rai. Even going as far as having shinobi from Danzo track her until Kakashi and Yamato found them. She knew they where hiding something...But what it was, they couldn't figure it out. And according to Orochimaru's last comments...it had something to do with her bloodline.

"Perhaps we should start with the beginning..." she said from her spot at the desk. All eyes turned to her waiting to hear what she had to say. "What do you know about her bloodline?"

The elders tensed before the woman snapped, "That has nothing to do with it."

"Bullshit!" she said and slammed her fist into the desk, causing a crack to zig through the wood. "You are hiding something and I want to know."

Both elders exchanged wary glances before standing up. "We will allow you to get her story...and...we'll discuss the girl's punishment."

They started to walk to the door, but stopped when they heard a chair squeak. Tsunade stood up but her head was down. "We will find out about her bloodline...mark my words. And you better pray that you will not be the one to end up with the punishments..."

******************************

Everything was a blur to Rai as she began to open her eyes. She couldn't see and started to become frightened that whatever had happened she had lost her eyesight. She pulled at her arms to get up and found them unmovable, the same with her legs.

"Are you awake, yeah?" asked a deep voice from behind her. Rai tried to turn her head to see but through the darkness, she only saw the back of a blonde top-knot only inches from her.

"Y-yeah...what happened?"

"Keh," he scoffed. "Damn Anbu jumped us and threw us in the cell, un," he said hatefully. Cerulean eyes glanced at the stone walls, lingering on cracks that could prove useful as hiding spots for clay bombs.

"Damn it! I knew this would happen eventually! I'm so stupid," she exclaimed. She knew that they wouldn't be able to get out unless Deidara could pull something off. Her lessons with Ibiki had taught him how to affectively contain her even with her bloodline.

"It's my fault...I shouldn't have shown up like that. If I would've pretended not to know you and be after Orochimaru then you wouldn't be in this position, yeah."

Rai smiled from her spot. "I wouldn't just let them take you into custody while I stand back and watch. You know I would've ended up here with you."

The bomber grinned. "Yeah, I know, hm. I just wanted you to admit it-OW!" He winced from where Rai had hit him in the back of his head with her own.

"Ow? That's what I should be saying." Kami knew how much she wanted to rub her aching head. That wasn't smart.

"I hope you too are having a good time," announced a new voice. Deidara's light hearted attitude did a 180 at the sight of Tsunade. On either side of her were Kakashi and Ibiki who followed before closing the door shut. The lights flickered on to reveal both Rai and Deidara tied to chairs, back-to-back.

"Please make this easy, Rai," Ibiki said as he dragged a chair from the wall and sat down in front of her. "Now tell us why you assisted Akatsuki and Orochimaru...Are you affiliated with there groups?"

"She doesn't need to explain to you, un. All you'll do is kill her in the end!" This earned Deidara a hard smack in the back of the head by Tsunade.

"Quiet you. We'll get to you soon enough."

Kakashi gave an eye crinkle. "Please try not to anger her any more. It will only make it worse for you."

Deidara narrowed his eyes.

"I'll tell you everything but Deidara doesn't have any real part in this except that I helped him." Rai said. After a pregnant pause, she continued. "A few months ago, actually only a day before I ran into Sakura's team, I was at the Sound base looking for my scroll. Just as I found the scroll room, I noticed that there was someone following me. At the time I didn't know it was Orochimaru."

"So you went to Sound to get your scroll? Anything else that you where looking for?" Kakashi asked.

Rai shook her head. "I only went there to find my scroll because I heard that Uchiha killed him, so I thought it was safe."

"Did you encounter him at all?"

Again another shake. "No. He only followed me until I left. Yuumei and Karasu both knew it was him but they didn't tell me. I heard them talking to themselves about it," she explained. "Afterwards I came here and you know the rest until the explosion."

"Yes..." Ibiki said from his seat. "I believe that story but now I want to know if you are affiliated with Akatsuki."

Rai and Deidara tensed, but it went unnoticed by the three others in the room. What was she supposed to say to that? Yes she was...now...but she didn't know at the time before she put the ring on...But Deidara knew. If she told them that, then he would be put to death for sure...She could lie to them but what if they unwrapped her left hand? Then she really would be screwed.

"No. I had only heard of them, never even encountered the group before." There was two lies in that sentence. Of course she wanted to keep them focused on Deidara and not what happened in Ame. "I was at the flower shop with Ino and Hinata when the explosion went off."

"Don't lie to me Rai." Ibiki's voice began to grow deeper and his eyes narrowed. "The flower shop was closed that day."

"Actually, Ino had closed it so that they could work on Naruto's flower arrangements for his wedding," Kakashi added.

Ibiki thought about it for a moment before looking to the copy-cat. "Wasn't your team sent to investigate the explosion?"

"Yes, but Rai wasn't with us...she was stressed after the mission to Bird Country and Sakura told me that she had Rai go with her to work on flowers to relieve some stress."

Deidara tried to hide his laugh but failed. "What's so funny Blonde-y?" Ibiki asked.

"I can't see Rai actually playing with flowers, yeah," Deidara answered in between laughs.

Rai glared over her shoulder before pushing her chair against his. Sadly she didn't realize her chair was tied to his and both ended up onto the floor. Ibiki and Kakashi sighed and set both of the chairs upright while Tsunade watched in amusement.

"Back to the story now."

"Well," Rai began. "That night I was at home and looked out the window to see a dark figure just outside my house. I didn't know what to do so I took him in and helped him and at the time I didn't know that he was Akatsuki."

"You expect us to believe that?" Ibiki asked. "You saw his cloak and I know that you can identify what the red clouds are for."

"My cloak was torn to pieces from my masterpiece, un. Even I couldn't identify it."

"So instead of turning him in, you hid him in your house?" Kakashi questioned. How was it that he hadn't even known?

"Um...yeah. I couldn't kill him after I went through the trouble of saving him so I decided to keep him until he left."

"Now I sound like a dog, yeah."

"Well, in my book any Akatsuki is a dog." Ibiki stood up and began to pace the room. After a while, a puzzled expression took form and he turned to Rai. "How did you keep him hidden from everyone?"

Rai laughed nervously. "Funny story, really. Um...did you know that the refrigerator has more the one use?"

Deidara scoffed. "Give her a pen and paper and she can write 101 ways to stuff a damn criminal in the fridge, yeah, " he said bitterly.

Kakashi chuckled while Ibiki's expression turned to one of amusement. Tsunade seemed to ponder it for a moment. "So that's why you wouldn't let me get sake from the kitchen after I kicked Gai out."

Ibiki sighed. "Well it seems that we have a problem..."

Kakashi and Tsunade sobered up and the room grew serious. "Everyone here knows the punishment is death and we have already bent enough rules for you Rai." She paused before adding, "I can't allow them to kill you so...that leaves only one way."

"Which is?" Kakashi asked though he had an idea.

Ibiki picked up where Tsunade left off. "Rai will have to escape from here. We will allow you to escape before we call Anbu to capture you."

Tsunade sighed and crossed her arms. "Of course if you are captured then we will have no choice but to kill you."

Rai's brows furrowed. "I won't leave without Dei."

Kakashi shook his head. "I understand what you are saying Rai but he is a criminal."

"So am I."

"Not like him, you're not. You only did things to survive. You where forced into being a missing-nin."

"So was he," she said while shaking her head. "You haven't even heard his story-"

"Rai, stop it, un." Deidara said.

"No. You haven't done anything to this village so you shouldn't have to die."

"He's from Akatsuki. Any encounter with Akatsuki members, you are forced to kill on contact," Ibiki reported. "I'm sorry Rai but even with your argument, he did kill the Kazekage."

"I broke into Suna's most important buildings and you still over looked it. Why can't you let it go?"

"..." A silence settled over the room. Everyone was lost in there own thoughts. Finally Tsunade sighed. "Fine, we will allow you both to leave-"

"Lady Tsunade-what are you saying?" Ibiki questioned.

She turned to the scarred man. "If we only allow Rai to escape, then the elders will know that we let her go. Besides you didn't let me finish." She turned back to Deidara. "I want you to give me a blood oath that you will not attack Suna or Konoha. Also, that when a team is sent out to retrieve Naruto, I want you to warn us any way you can so we can keep him in the village, understood?"

Deidara narrowed his eyes. "If I did that then Leader will find out and kill me. I'm not going to be a damn spy."

Tsunade sighed irritably. "I'm not asking you to be a spy. Just don't attack us for real. Make it up, but no casualties. And I'm not telling you to save Naruto, just warn us that they are coming for him...If he is in the village and they are unable to get to him then they won't be able to trace it back to you. There is no downside."

"Just a few extra chores in exchange for your life..." Kakashi added.

Deidara looked down at his knees...

************************

"How did they get away?!" exclaimed an angry elder.

"We believe that the Akatsuki still had access to clay," reported an Anbu captain. It was now morning and after a long night of following dead-end trails, they had returned to announce the bad news.

"You mean the guards didn't disarm him completely? What are we running here, a zoo?!"

"They did disarm the criminal but they said that they think he had some extra clay in his...," he paused looking for the right word, "...mouths."

The older woman gave the man a skeptical glare. "And you didn't check his palms for clay?!"

"Ma'am," said the exhausted captain with a twitch of his eyebrow. "I strongly refuse to stick my fingers in his mouths to dig around for clay. Perhaps you should volunteer for the job next time."

"Don't get smart with me, captain," warned the elder woman. "I want teams to look for them now."

"We have two teams on the job as we speak."

"Did I say two teams? No. I said teams-as in more!"

The elder man threw his arms in the air. "And what were the Hokage's orders to you?"

The captain looked back and forth between the fuming elders. "She said to take them in alive so they could be properly executed."

"As the elders of Konohgakure, we over ride those orders," the man said. The captain stayed silent and waited for him to elaborate. "Instead," the elder continued, "they will be killed-slaughtered on contact...is that understood?"

"...Yes, sir."

************************

Deidara and Rai landed near a river just outside the tree lining. They had travelled all day and night, while escaping the Anbu. They hadn't been able to use Deidara's birds to ride on due to there size and the whole "trying not to be noticed".

"So," Rai said as she sat against a tree. "Where do we go from here?"

"There is a base in River Country that we'll head to. I have a few clay birds at the base and that's where the rest of Akatsuki are right now, yeah," Deidara explained as he laid on the forest floor with his hands behind his head.

Rai gave him a glare. "I was referring to separating."

"What are you talking about, hm? You would be stupid to separate from me."

Rai narrowed her eyes and lifted her chin stubbornly. "Don't talk as if I need your protection. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself...You're not the only missing-nin here."

"That's not what I'm saying, un."

"Tsh--whatever." She pulled her charcoal grey jacket around her tighter as a breeze passed by. She looked through the branches to see the stars scattered across the dark sky. It would only be a few hours before morning and they had to start moving again.

"In the morning...I'll be going southeast--to Tea Country," she said, braking the silence.

Deidara abruptly sat up. "Tea? No way, un. Your coming with me to River."

Rai turned her head and glared. "I just told you that I don't need to go with you."

Deidara matched her glare and started to walk towards her. She too stood up and flexed her fingers, not trusting him not to start a fight. "You are coming with me, yeah," he said quietly. She could tell that he was trying to stay calm...too bad she wasn't smart enough not to push her luck.

"No I won't. I healed you and saved you, now it's time to go our separate ways."

Deidara growled and grabbed her hand in a crushing grip. He roughly ripped the bandage from her left hand, ignoring her struggles to get him away. He twisted her wrist and shoved her hand in front of her eyes. "You see this, un?! This goddamn ring?! We are bound to each other now whether you like it or not, yeah!"

"No!" Rai tried to get away from the angry blonde but he pushed her against the tree. "Let me go! I don't want anything to do with this fucking ring!"

"And you think I do?!" Deidara pushed his body against hers with her left hand in his. "You have no choice now, yeah. No matter what, they will hunt you down and find you!"

"Let them! I'll kill every damn one of them!"

"Even me, hm?"

Rai stopped struggling and glared.

"If they give me orders to take you in...then I will," he explained in a calmer voice.

Rai thought about it for a while. "I don't want this...None of it."

"Well get used to it, yeah," he said as he pushed off of her and walked back to his spot on the ground. Rai stood where she was before sliding down the tree. She rubbed her hand to relieve the ache and gave a wary glance at Deidara. He sat with a scowl on his face and cerulean eyes flaring with anger.

"I won't be able to get away, will I?" Rai asked in a quiet defeated tone.

Deidara looked up and his expression sobered to sympathy. "...No. They'll always find you no matter what...There is no escaping."

************************

Meanwhile, our favorite ninja where having a few problems themselves. Kakashi, Ibiki, Yamato, Sai, and Naruto desperately searched through the elder's scroll room for the Chigiri scroll. They had searched three times and once again they found nothing.

Tsunade, Shizune and Sakura were currently keeping the elders busy in the Hokage office with a "meeting" on the escaped criminals.

"There's nothing here!" said a frustrated Naruto as he grabbed his head and fell onto his back. "We've looked through these scrolls like a hundred times already!"

"Come on, Naruto. We can't give up yet." Yamato picked up another scroll and looked it over. With a defeated sigh, he set it down and looked to Kakashi who wasn't doing much better.

"Well it obviously isn't here so what's the point in looking?"

"Sorry to say this but the boy has a point," Ibiki added. "There isn't anything here under Chigiri or Arashingan."

"But there just has to be," Kakashi replied. "How else would the elders know about that clan if there wasn't a scroll?"

"Well they are pretty old and wrinkled," Naruto mumbled. "...like a raisin."

Kakashi shook his head at Nartuo's simple minded-ness. "What about the Uchiha scroll?" Sai asked next to Naruto.

"What about it?" Kakashi asked.

"Why else would they be so adamant with her being on your team if there wasn't some kind of connection," Yamato piped when he started to understand.

"That's right," added Ibiki. "Remember when she first tried to escape and the Sharingan had some kind of hold on her?" He stood up and walked to the shelf to pull out the Uchiha scroll. Suddenly, the door burst open causing everyone to jump.

"S-sorry," panted Sakura. "But you need to hurry. The elders are getting angry again and you know they always leave when they're like that."

"We're almost done." Ibiki took the scroll and walked to the middle of the floor. The others crowded around him as he opened it. His eyes scanned it until it came to Chigiri halfway down the scroll. "Here we are."

"What does it say?" Naruto asked.

"...Hmm...nothing much except that they are both very similar...Wait. It says that the Arashingan is a bloodline that can rival that of any Sharingan wielder. In the beginning of Konohagakure's birth, Uchiha Madara had found out that the Chigiri's weakness lied in Dojutsu bloodlines. After a battle with one of the Chigiri members, the discovery that the Sharigan had control over the Arashingan was made. Not long after, he made it clear to fellow clan members that they had a new level of power and so began a war between clans. Hatred bred and distrust between the growing Konoha and Kumo thickened." Ibiki rolled the scroll open more before continuing. "Soon after he was confronted by the founder of the Chigiri clan, Chigiri Tsuneo. Both masters in their bloodlines, they had fought and Madara came out the victor, while taking Tsuneo prisoner...thus leading to one of the most powerful discoveries...."

Everyone around the room exchanged wary glances. "...most powerful discoveries?" Naruto asked in a small voice.

Ibiki looked back down to the scroll before continuing. "Madara had soon found out that not only could he control the Chigiri, he could also combine attacks such as Amaterasu with Tsuneo's attack called Kurayami Desasayaku to make an offensive attack strong enough to rip through anything a miles distance. If trained properly, then the Arashigan wielder can transition into forth stage. If this happens then the Chigiri member will have the power equal..." Ibiki looked up in mid-sentence to see everyone waiting for him to finish. "...equal to that of a tailed demon..."

"..."

"..."

"Wait...so if Rai is trained properly....and she goes into stage four then she has power of a demon? What kind of demon are we talking about? Like Gaara's one-tailed or Naruto's nine?" Sakura asked.

Ibiki looked back to the scroll for reference. "It doesn't say."

Kakashi immediately turned to Sai. "I want you to send a ink bird to Rai with one of your scrolls. Tell her that she has to stay away from any Uchiha she sees. Give her a quick explanation and tell her we'll keep her updated on what we find." Sai nodded his head and walked to the door. Naruto and Sakura followed Sai out of the room, leaving Ibiki, Kakashi and Yamato alone.

"Do you think that Sasuke would take advantage of her?" Yamato asked.

"Without a doubt. Even though he had just killed Itachi...he's still power hungry." Kakashi bowed his head. "Let us hope that he doesn't cross paths with Rai."

***********************

Rai and Deidara stared out across the trees. They had just passed the border and were now in River Country. There was a quiet breeze and the warm sun beat down on them. There journey had been travelled in silence.

To tell you the truth, ever since the night before argument, they had hardly said seven words to each other. Even when they had run into some border patrolling ninja, they just charged through the battle with relative ease. Rai refused to talk much do to her bruised ego. She really did miss Shinataro and the fact that she was going to be forced into the organization only made her feel worse. She looked behind her for the umpteenth time that day and the breeze pulled at her hair. Words couldn't describe how much she wanted to turn back and run.

Deidara on the other hand, was to his limit. Though you would never tell from his calm features, he really was stressed. He hadn't meant to be so...rough and well...barbaric with her. But she just didn't get it. No matter what, the Akatsuki would find her and take her in...or she would die. Of course death would be the last thing they would do to you. Torture wasn't uncommon for Akatsuki. Without a doubt he knew that if Rai refused then Hidan would have some company when he blessed Jashin. And he wouldn't be able to watch it. It was for her own good that she get it through her thick skull that she was a member. Now he felt guilty. Did she hate him? Probably. After all Itachi had done relatively the same thing and here Deidara still held a grudge against him even after he died. He sighed and looked over his shoulder to Rai. Once again she was looking behind her at the forest. It was a sad sight. He knew what freedom was like and he missed it. Swallowing his pride he looked back in front of him.

"Rai," he started. His voice was hoarse as if un-used. He cleared his throat before continuing. "I-I'm sorry for what I said and did last night...It wasn't right and I shouldn't have lost my temper, yeah."

He waited for an answer, but just like he predicted, silence followed. He knew it...She did hate him. Just as he was about to continue into the forest, a hand rested on his shoulder.

"It's not all your fault..." Rai said quietly. "I was trying to hide from reality. Turn a blind eye...You were only looking out for me."

Deidara's eyes lit up and he spun around and wrapped his arms around her. "That's great, yeah!"

Rai blinked. "W-what?"

"You aren't mad at me! I thought that you would hate me for making you come, un!"

Rai laughed slightly. "You may piss me off but I don't think I could hate you." Deidara let go and grabbed her hand in his before dragging her into the trees.

"Good, then I can tell you the news, un."

Rai tilted her head to the side. "News?" she asked slowly.

"Yup. I sent a clay bird to the base so that they could send a team to escort us. I figured that way you could meet some of the guys before we get there, yeah."

Rai stopped walking and her hand fell to her side. Deidara turned around to face her with a confused expression.

"You mean that some one will be here to take us to the base?"

"Yeah....What's wrong?"

"I just thought that I would be able to have at least one more day before...you know."

Deidara smiled and pulled her after him again. "Don't worry, un. You'll be with me. Seriously. I, technically, don't have a partner seeing as I 'died' and Itachi was killed. That means we'll be a team, yeah."

"So I would be paired up with you? I guess it wouldn't be that bad..."

***********************

Pein walked through the halls with a soft rustle of his cloak. He had just gotten Deidara's message and at the moment had to keep a smug smirk from conquering his usual stoic features. Who knew that he would be meeting with the white-haired kunoichi so soon?

He reached his door to his office and opened it to see all of the members and team hawk waiting for him. Next to his desk stood Madara in all his glory with his arms crossed over his chest.

"So, where's our destination?" Madara asked, making no effort to hide his own smirk.

"To River and Konoha's border." Konan answered for Pein.

"And what the fuck are all of us going there for?" Hidan asked with his scythe over his shoulder.

"I have received word that Deidara and our new recruit are in the area and ready to come to the base," Pein explained calmly.

"Deidara? Hn...I killed him a few weeks ago." Sasuke said in a bored tone.

Konan turned to him with a slight glare. "That's not what I heard. Rumor says that you ran away with your tail between your legs after Deidara tried to take you with him in the explosion." It was safe to say that the normally calm blue-haired kunoichi disliked Sasuke and team hawk.

Crimson eyes narrowed, but he chose to answer it with the best way he knew..., "Hn."

"My Sasuke-kun would never run away!" Karin exclaimed. Everyone seemed to roll their eyes at her predictable outburst, but she never seemed to notice. Like a duck when it rains. No matter what, the duck always swims in the pond....Stupid duck.

"Do all of us need to go just to get him?" Kisame asked next to Hidan.

The white haired sadist scoffed. "Fuck, apparently so. The damn pansy probably forgot how to fucking find the goddamn shity base."

"To answer your question," Pein said, ignoring Hidan's profanities. "We are all going to meet with the new recruit. I'm sure that she won't be very happy when she realizes that she is officially a member and I thought that you may want some fun...I'm sure she'll put up quite the fight." He inwardly smirked.

"Wait-the new member is another slut?" Hidan asked. "We already have one fucking ugly red-headed slut-why do we need another?"

"Hey she may be hot," grinned Kisame. "Maybe it won't be so bad."

"What the hell?! The bitch will just go after the fag Uchiha!"

"He's not a fag! You probably don't get any women because you're a crazy bastard that believes in a god that doesn't exist!" Karin screeched.

"Fucking whore, you better shut that shit-hole mouth of yours!" Hidan threatened.

"Enough!" Madara's deep voice made everyone stop. "Now I'm ready to meet the new recruit that Pein," he said as he turned his eyes to the Rinnegan wielder and his smirk grew, "had personally recruited...."

Ringed eyes narrowed threatenly...

***********************

After another hour of travelling, Deidara came to a stop in a small clearing. "Let's stop for lunch, yeah."

Rai nodded and sat down while Deidara pulled out some jerky that Kakashi had given them before they "escaped". Rai took hers and started to chew as she stared into the blue sky. "It really is a nice day."

"Hm?" Deidara mumbled. He swallowed his food before saying, "Yeah it is."

A soft beat of wings hummed and they looked up to see a black bird fly to a branch above them. At first Rai had mistaken the bird for Karasu until it began to...drip? Sai!

Deidara stood up and reached for his clay pouch. "So someone thinks they can spy on us, yeah?"

"No-Dei!," Rai exclaimed as she jumped up to her feet. "It's Sai's bird. He has a message for us." As soon as she was convinced that he wouldn't blow the bird up, she turned and held a hand out. The ink bird flapped down to her arm and dropped the scroll in her open hand. Rai opened the blank scroll and immediately, the bird melted into the paper, forming words.

"What does it say, yeah?" Deidara asked as he looked over her shoulder.

Rai looked at the scroll and read aloud, "Snowflake, team 7 and Ibiki had found some information on your bloodline. I have to keep it short right now, but I will explain as soon as I can. Scarecrow says that-"

"Wait," Deidara said. He walked in front of Rai who gave him a skeptical look. "You guys have code names?...Why don't I have one, yeah?"

She rolled her eyes and continued, while ignoring his question. "Scarecrow says that you and Transvestite-"

"The Fuck?! I'll kill that son of a Bitch, yeah!"

"FOCUS!" Rai exclaimed. Shaking her head, she went back to reading. "Scarecrow says that you and Deidara need to stay away from any and all Uchihas. The scroll said that the Sharingan has the power to...to control a Chigiri clan member..." She looked up to Deidara whose expression was hard. "If you run into an Uchiha you have to get away. Once they find out who you are then your freedom is as good as gone. P.S Sakura says to be safe. P.S.S. Naruto says hi and to visit."

Rai looked up from the scroll and aqua met cerulean. "Don't worry, yeah. Itachi was killed...He's the only Uchiha in Akatsuki."

Rai sighed in relief. "Good, then nothing to fret over."

Deidara smiled and threw an arm over her shoulders. "That's right. All we have to do is stay away from missions that could cross paths to that Uchiha brat, yeah."

Rai smiled back and her white locks flew around her. Now that she thought about it, this whole team thing wasn't that bad. She would be with Deidara and together they would rock Akatsuki!

Suddenly their light-hearted moment was suffocated when they felt strong chakra signatures that filled the clearing in crushing waves...Deidara immediately recognized them as Akatsuki but what had him uneasy was that they had surrounded them...Something told him that this wasn't going to be a warm welcoming...

Told ya that it would be a good chappy. A lot happened and we learned a lot about Rai's bloodline. I wonder, I wonder, what will happen...If you like "edge of your seat action", then please review...it's easy really! Just click the bottom little button and type a comment. Thanks!