Hey! I'm back! After a crazily long time of abandonment, I'm here to complete this fic! WOOO! Ignore my note on the previous page – no time skip, no sequel. Just the story the way I intended it to be. My writing has changed considerably since the last chapter I wrote so if it's a little weird, I apologise. So anyway... Here we go!
In the end we didn't bother going to see the local records. What good would it do? Tobi was going to be alright and even if we got the proof we were looking for what would we do with it? We couldn't very well tell the chief since he was probably in on it too. So we just returned to the grungy – for want of a better word – hotel. I was anxious to see Tobi anyway and we were both pretty tired from our trip to the forest – something Deidara and I could agree on for a change!
I soon discovered, to my dismay, that I'd run further than I originally thought. A lot further.
"Damn... I was serious this time, wasn't I?" I mumbled, trying to ignore the periodic throbbing in the soles of my feet and obviously having minimal success. "I almost wish you had broken my legs."
"Really, un? Why's that?" Deidara asked in surprise. He was some way ahead of me, totally focussed on the vague haze of light ahead of us that I knew was the town. He didn't turn to face me as he spoke which I found strange considering my most recent escape jaunt but I wasn't complaining. If he didn't look at me I could pretend he wasn't attractive and therefore find it easier to hate him. Marginally.
"Because at least then I wouldn't have had to walk back," I sighed, flopping down at the side of the road to massage my aching legs. I had a feeling Deidara wouldn't like it... but then I'd never let that stop me before. I wasn't about to bother myself now.
At first he didn't stop and I was foolish enough to hope he might actually keep going and leave me behind – no such luck. A few more steps and he halted too, turning halfway to check on me. He clearly hadn't thought I was doing a runner again; my chakra, such as it was, hadn't indicated an attempt to flee and I knew Deidara was skilled enough to tell that. No, the only reason he turned was to try to hurry me up with an impatient shake of his overgrown head.
Tempting as it was to flip him a none too polite hand sign I restrained myself and settled for a disdainful scowl. "Don't even go there; my feet are killing me and as the soon-to-be-deceased I have the right to rest when I feel like it. So there." With that I crossed my arms and turned away, nose high in the air and eyes closed. That certainly showed him! I mean seriously, it was his fault we were even here. If he hadn't done his weird staring thing I wouldn't have felt the need to touch his face. Ergo, I wouldn't have scared myself and run away.
I heard him start to backtrack, his ninja shoes crunching against the soft forest earth. I wouldn't look at him though – he could plead and beg for all I cared, I was not moving an inch until my feet were bet-
"AAAAHHHHHH!" I screamed, limbs flailing as Deidara suddenly hoisted me up on to his back. "What the hell do you think you're doing?! Put me down you unkempt pineapple grenade!" Wow... that's a new one. I'm surprising even myself!
"Unkempt what?" he questioned, confused by my on the spot insult. "Never mind, un. And quit struggling! It's quicker if I carry you back. Besides, if villagers tried to kill us once they might try it again, un; I don't wanna leave Tsukai and Tobi for much longer"
Reluctantly I saw the logic in his plan – the sooner we got back the better. But I wasn't any happier about riding on his back despite the perfect sense it made. He was Akatsuki after all and I was loathe to rely on one of those freelancing fiends. Although if I was being completely honest with myself (which I rarely was these days) it was because I hated the fact that I was actually secretly enjoying it. I loved the feel of his strong back and shoulders against my heartbeat and it made me sick! To think I was attracted to a man who wouldn't hesitate to destroy everything I held dear... it made me question my humanity. If there was one thing that consoled me it was the absolute certainty that, whatever my attraction to him, I would never allow him to hurt the people I cared about. No matter what I would protect my village, my friends, my family with every breath I had left.
We continued to the village in silence, Deidara walking stoically, not showing any signs of weakening though he'd run as far as I had. I enjoyed the swaying motion of his steps; it reminded me of my youth when I'd spend long days at the park with Hiroshi, my oldest and dearest friend. I know what you must be thinking: I'm only nineteen. I'm not old at all. But for a ninja it was a significant period of time and to have not only survived but to have survived with a friend as dear as Hiroshi was to me was indeed a rarity.
We were blood brothers, Hiroshi and I. Blood sisters too. We could never decide which to call ourselves since he was a brother and I was a sister – 'Blood Brother and Sister' didn't have quite the same ring to it. In the end we decided to be both and it had remained that way since the ritual back when we were five. Apart from my Gramps, Hiroshi was the most precious person in the world to me. I missed him terribly; it was painful to think we'd never meet again. We'd never go to the swings to act our shoe size rather than our age again; we'd never eat at Murui's Ramen Shack again; so many things we'd never do together...
I sighed miserably and unconsciously tightened my grip around Deidara's neck. Why did I keep doing this to myself? I was going to die; end of story. Thinking about the things that were now forever barred to me was just making it worse. Sooner or later I'd have to accept that it was over – there was no way out for me. As Gramps once told me: 'A good ninja fights to his last; but a true ninja will admit defeat and die with honour if the cause is lost.'
"What are you thinking about, un?" Deidara asked curiously, tilting his head to glimpse my face. Not wanting him to see my torment, I buried my face deeper into his hair. I briefly considered telling him to mind his own business but quickly decided there was little point. The chances of him doing as I said were slim and besides, it wasn't as if I'd made any secret of my morbid thoughts before.
"I was remembering, not that that should concern you any." I muttered, my voice muffled by his thick hair. I could hear his irritation before he even replied, the set in his posture becoming hunched in his exasperation.
"I'm pretty sure I'll regret this, but what were you remembering? And why, un?"
"My Gramps... Hiroshi... my Village... I was remembering a lot of things." I whispered, my black mood refusing to shift. "And why do you think? Because I'll never see them again. Because I miss them."
"That does it, un! We have got to talk about this; you're driving me insane! One second you're fine, un, the next you're either mad or depressed. What's it gonna take to make you stop moping, un?!" Deidara exclaimed.
He was right of course. I'd been an emotional train wreck for weeks. I mean a little while ago I was angry enough to tear him limb from limb – now I barely had the will to argue back. I couldn't help it though! I just... it's just that when I let myself dwell on my fate... I couldn't take it. It hurt, knowing I was on the short-list for extinction.
"Well how would you feel? I've had everything taken away from me – everything. I'll never see my loved ones again. And there's a lot of things I wanted to do that I'll never get the chance to..." My voice started to crack and I winced as the tears came unbidden and unwanted. I couldn't believe it – showing weakness in front of Deidara. Deidara! Of all people...
"Are you...? You are!" he yelled, shocked. "You're actually crying, un!"
"Shut up!" I snapped, smacking him in the back and freeing my hands to wipe my eyes. "I'm not crying!"
"It looks like you are to me, un."
"Well I'm not!" I hissed. The problem was that now that I'd started I couldn't stop; more and more tears slid down my cheeks in a seemingly endless river.
"Hey, un. You alright?" Deidara asked softly, his voice showing just a hint of concern.
"I'm fine!" I sniffed angrily, rubbing at my eyes furiously. "I don't want your sympathy."
"I know, I know." he appeased, jumping over a fallen tree that blocked our path. "Take it easy, un. So... Who's Hiroshi?"
His change of subject was anything but subtle but I wasn't complaining. Waiting till my voice was steady, I explained about my childhood friend and how we'd been more like siblings than anything else. Deidara listened without interruption – an amazing feat for him! – and in no time I found myself cheering up. I told him about me and Hiroshi's secret base and about our love of practical jokes. By the time I was finished my mood had lightened considerably and I was back to my usual cheery self.
"And then Lord Shibuki slipped and fell in the lake!" I laughed, my stomach hurting from the hysteria brought on by the memory of it. "Yeah, Hiroshi and me got into a lot of trouble for that one!"
"Quite the rebel aren't you, un?" Deidara chuckled amiably.
"Yeah, I guess I am." I agreed, my laughter fading. Suddenly a thought occurred and I decided there was no better time to ask. "Hey, Dei?"
"Hm?"
"I was wondering... That raid I helped the Leaf Village with... It was a false lead wasn't it?" It was something I'd wondered about a lot since my capture. If the hideout we uncovered was real then why was it that the Akatsuki were in a town miles away from it? I know they're powerful but surely they couldn't all escape an ambush with hundreds of Jounin rank Leaf and Sand Nin.
"You're sharp, un. Yeah, that was a set up. The real aim of that exercise was to see your trap and barrier skills, un." he replied. Oh, really? That's an interesting titbit that I'll be sure not to forget.
Chancing my luck, I tried to press him for more information. "So whatever you guys want me for has something to do with my abilities?"
"Nice try, un." Deidara snorted, amused by my thin attempt to discover the reasons behind my captivity. "But I'm not gonna tell you. You'll have to wait until Pein decides to tell you, un."
Damn it! I was a bit ticked off that he still wouldn't spill but I had a more important factor to stew over – Akatsuki had been after me all along. It would've made more sense if they'd only wanted me dead for breaking their barrier but to find out that they'd been targeting me to begin with was a shock to the system.
/\
We arrived at the hotel some time later, Deidara exhausted and panting from carrying me all the way. As soon as we crossed the threshold into the disgusting lobby I jumped off his back and hurtled up the stairs, leaving him behind in my desperation to see if Tobi was awake and well. I barely registered his indignant cries of 'Hey! No 'thanks', un?' as I took the steps two at a time.
Bursting into our room, the first thing I noticed was the empty bed. My heart soared – an empty bed meant that Tobi was up and if he was up he was healthy. However a second later it dropped as I realised that not only was the bed empty, the whole room was empty. Now, I may have proven myself to be a pretty pathetic ninja up till this point but it didn't take a Jounin to figure out that something was wrong. Why would Tsukai and Tobi leave without us? It didn't make any sense.
My neck began to prickle with the beginnings of fear but I ventured into the room nonetheless, searching for a clue of any sort. There were no signs of a struggle which was a relief in itself but if they hadn't been taken by force then why had they left?
That's when I spotted it; a small square of folded paper laying inconspicuously on the pillows on the bed. The sight of it made me sick with dread but I picked it up anyway. Opening it carefully I read it's contents and blanched. Oh dear Lord...
"DEIDARA!" I screamed, panic causing me to lose all hold on common sense. I dropped the paper which I now knew was an ultimatum, unable to bear having it anywhere near me. I backed away as if it were a poisonous spider waiting to pounce, my mind running through hundreds of grizzly scenes as I realised – too late – that I was right. The town did hate ninja
"Behind you, un."
I spun, ready to tell him what I'd found but stopped short at the sight I beheld. The note was nothing to this – our last hope, our last chance of rescue was... otherwise engaged, shall we say. Deidara was indeed behind me, standing in the doorway with a bored expression, but he wasn't alone. Behind him, holding a mean looking katana with a serrated edge, was the grubby receptionist who'd glared at us hatefully each time we passed. And to add insult to injury he had Deidara's ninja gear.
"Oh crap..." I squeaked, terrified. We were toast; all of us. We were all gonna die! Deidara, Tobi, Tsukai and me – we were all goners.
"Right, Missy; you just come here quiet like or I'll kill your friend before you can blink twice." the receptionist ordered. If not for the dire situation I might have laughed. Friend?! Who was this guy kidding? He could kill that jerk all he wanted, I was more concerned about the others. Or so I told myself anyway.
"D-D-Deidara... the note... it says..." I stuttered, the horror of the situation threatening to paralyse me. God knew that was all I needed right now; frozen while the enemy tore me to pieces.
"I think I could guess, un." he said sourly, his hands high above his head, palm outwards. He didn't seem afraid or worried... just bitter. It was quite irritating actually. Couldn't he show a little concern for our...
...Then I spotted it. The mouth in his left hand was moving as if it were chewing something. I raised a questioning eyebrow but before I could say anything I caught the urgent look on his face. He shook his head slightly and winked before shooting a glance at the room window. I got his meaning instantly and my spirits lifted with new hope. So he wasn't a complete idiot after all.
"They're gonna kill Tsukai and Tobi at dawn." I whispered in pretend dismay, trying to buy him some time to finish. He rolled his eyes but played along, closing his hand over the mouth containing what I now knew was explosive clay.
"I know, un. Our friend here told me all about it."
"Well can't you do something?!" I cried, eyes fixated on his hand as he slowly opened it to show me a perfect model of a bird. His other hand began a countdown and I tensed in preparation to dive out the window. When the last of his fingers went down I'd make my move.
"As a matter of fact, I can." he smirked. Quick as a flash he tossed the bird into the air just as his last finger went down and threw himself forwards towards the window. I moved at the same time, diving through the glass and curling my muscles so I could perform a forward roll when I landed to avoid breaking anything. I heard the receptionist yell but the sound was immediately obliterated by an exclamation of 'KATSU!' and an explosion which shook the earth.
The force of the blast hit me in the back as I descended from the hotel window and messed up my posture. Instead of landing in a roll as I'd planned I landed in a heap, feeling yet more bruises add themselves to my rapidly expanding repertoire. I rolled over to face the sky, panting heavily and sweating from the heat given out by Deidara's bomb. Scanning the sky for some sign of the lunatic, I began to wonder if he'd been caught in the flare when all of a sudden...
"Look out below, un!"
I gasped as I spotted him falling through the air. Don't get the wrong idea! I wasn't worried about him. It was the fact that he was headed straight for me that I found alarming. Throwing myself out of his way, I hurried to stand up and glared as he landed gracefully on his feet exactly where I'd been a second ago.
"You halfwitted suicide bomber! You almost landed on me!" I shouted, punching his arm. "And did you have to make it quite so big? You nearly killed us!"
"I said look out below." he shrugged. "And it wasn't meant to be that big; I told that guy he didn't want to take my gear, un."
I shook my head, disgusted. Where did he get his carefree attitude? Had he forgotten that Tsukai and Tobi were still in danger?
"Whatever. Now what genius? Now that you've alerted the rest of the village to our location what do you propose we do?" I inquired sarcastically, brushing the soot from my clothes. Which, by the way, were filthy again.
"First we get Tobi and Tsukai back. Then we get out of here, un. Sound good?"
"Great; a nice, simple plan. I like it. But when we're done you'll take me somewhere that has a bath, kapeesh?" I grunted, taking a last look at the burning building before wandering after the retreating terrorist. "Assuming, of course, that we survive that is."
Yey! The official re-opening chapter is finished! I hope you enjoyed it. Review me and tell me what you thought; I love to hear from my readers. Of course that is presuming I have any readers left after my long disappearance... :P