Angel's Wings
Jedi Goat
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
Author's Note: A bit late for a Christmas present, but here it is anyway ^.^
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Chapter 11
As Hidan's shadowy figure retreated on the horizon, Sasori's previous anger burned itself out. Suddenly exhausted, he sank down on the grass beside Deidara, running a hand along his face.
"Damn it," he muttered. He half regretted his outburst; Hidan was annoying, but he had proven himself helpful over the course of their journey. Nevertheless, he had no right to criticize Sasori's authority; wasn't he the one who had coaxed Deidara back from the brink and healed his numerous injuries? To accuse him of not being able to care for his partner…
Sasori's right hand clenched into a fist. At times, I know I've been tough on him, he reflected, but I'd never purposely harm the brat. Especially not now.
He raised his head. Though it was difficult, his decision was necessary. Hidan had to get to the Land of Rice Patties as swiftly as possible; Konan's letter had implied his mission was even more urgent than the meeting back at headquarters. On the other hand, Sasori and Deidara were nearly home; if they encountered rogue ninja at this point, he was still strong enough to take them down one-handed. Out of necessity, their progress was slowed to a crawl – urgent or not, Deidara came before their rendezvous at the lair.
At that thought, he glanced sideways at his partner. Miraculously, Deidara had stopped his mad coughing and was now shivering in the early evening air, surveying the forest.
"What now, danna, un?"
Sasori forced himself to a standing position. "Let's find a place to stay," he muttered, glancing around as well. "Night's coming on soon."
Sasori crouched beside him, verifying that his bandages had held and that his wound was closed. Once satisfied that his partner would last a little longer, he rose again.
Deidara didn't argue this time as Sasori helped him to his feet. His first steps were weaving, uncertain, his breath coming in short gasps. Sasori kept pace with him unquestioningly.
They retraced their steps along the dirt trail, Sasori remembering the clearing from earlier. Its rocky cavern would provide some form of shelter from the stirring wind. Deidara moved haltingly, and Sasori's sharp eye remained on his face for any indication of pain or the recommence of blood flow.
"We're nearly there," he murmured to himself. "Then you can rest, brat."
Deidara gave a small nod; almost timidly, he stretched out his arm. He grasped Sasori's right elbow, clinging to him for balance. The puppet master momentarily tensed, but seeing Deidara's bowed head and dutifully trudging step, he succumbed to a faint smile.
"I'm here, brat."
"Un."
They walked on in silence.
*
Sasori ducked his head, peering into the alcove beneath the clustered boulders. The space, nearly level to the ground, was just a foot or so shorter than him and wide enough for perhaps two people.
"In here, brat."
Deidara finally released his grip on his arm, slowly crawling into the dark cavern. Above, the boulders were splashed with orange and violet sunlight – sunset was upon them.
Sasori threw down the bag containing what was left of their supplies, awkwardly pawing through it one-handed. There. He set aside two tightly bound bedrolls. He didn't expect much sleep, himself, but he was tired enough to hope.
"Come help me with this, brat," he commanded, and Deidara slithered toward him. He fumbled to unfurl the tight bundles, wincing as his claws caught in the fabric. Once he had undone the bindings, it was a simple matter to flatten the bedspread.
Sasori draped the first bedroll inside the alcove, nodding to Deidara. He slid beneath the thin covering, curling onto his side with a visible wince. His injured right shoulder was exposed to the air, wing bent slightly away from his body.
He was still shivering. Sasori took pity on him and gently wrapped the second bedroll around his shoulders. Deidara's eyes flickered open.
"Danna? Aren't you going to sleep?" He tugged at the extra cover, looking guilty.
Sasori shook his head, "I can do without, brat. Besides, one of us has to keep watch." The sound ninja had already attacked once that day; a second assault would be brutal, with their unhealed injuries. Nevertheless, Sasori suspected Orochimaru wouldn't give up the hunt for his experiment that easily.
Deidara continued to stare up at him. "I can be lookout for a couple hours, un," he suggested earnestly.
"No, brat. You need the rest more than me." Closing the argument, Sasori settled outside their shelter cross-legged, facing the forest.
Dissatisfied, Deidara only made a small noise of protest before his eyelids began to fall. Huddled in the cavern he looked very small, and Sasori was once more aware of a strange feeling of warmth.
This time, alone and at ease, he was able to put a name to it. The sensation haunted his memory, far back when he had been young and surrounded by family. It came rushing back now as he gazed down at his partner, and Sasori closed his eyes, finally accepting it.
Deidara truly was an angel, one he couldn't do without. His heart told him it had always been so; it had only taken this long for him to admit it to himself. He was alone in the world except for the brat, and right now, he didn't want it any other way.
Deidara stirred faintly behind him. "'Night, danna."
Sasori smirked.
"Goodnight, brat."
*
Golden sunlight filtered down onto his face and he blinked slowly, drinking in the morning light. He lay still for several moments, content to listen to the gentle murmur of the forest beyond his sheltered domain. Then he shifted slightly, burrowing deeper into his warm covers.
Pain suddenly shot through his body at the movement, and he gave a muffled cry into the sheets. His chest burned; his shoulder, which he'd inadvertently jostled, screamed in agony. He twisted forward, coughing as his lungs ached for air.
In an instant he sensed someone crouching over him, pushing back his hair as warm liquid dripped from his lips. Panting, Deidara raised his head.
"…Danna?"
Sasori said nothing, only pressing a cloth to his bloody mouth. Deidara closed his eyes again, exhaustion sweeping over him.
"Brat," Sasori murmured, "if you can, please try to stop coughing." His voice had an unfamiliar note to it; Deidara forewent the effort to ponder it.
"Un," he nodded weakly. Gritting his teeth, he slid his legs from beneath the blankets and swung himself to a sitting position. His head nearly brushed the top of the cavern; Deidara wavered a moment woozily, the world spinning around him. He blinked hard, holding a hand to his face.
"…Ugh," he commented intelligently. Once he could see straight he surveyed their clearing, dappled with early-morning sunlight, before focusing on Sasori.
"We'll head back as soon as you're ready," Sasori informed him calmly. He held out a palm and Deidara caught sight of two small pills.
"Stamina pills," Sasori informed him shortly. Deidara's stomach growled; he swore the puppet master nearly smiled. "I trust you're hungry?"
Nodding, he accepted the alternative for food; at least the pills would give him energy for a couple hours. After swallowing them, Sasori passed him a canteen. Deidara drank the proffered water before unsteadily rising to his feet.
"Let's go, danna, un," he said with forced cheerfulness. Sasori frowned at him.
"Wait."
He glanced sideways at his danna in surprise; hadn't the redhead been in a rush to leave? Sasori's hazel eyes were narrowed at the edge of the clearing. His right hand was clenched.
"Danna, something wrong, un?" he asked nervously.
"Someone's coming," he growled. "Stick close to me, brat." He got to his feet, good hand reaching within his robe, for his puppets, Deidara immediately assumed. He obediently fell into step with him.
"Show yourselves," Sasori growled, taking a step forward. He radiated power; Deidara, struggling to keep his breath steady as his heart pounded, searched the surrounding woods.
Their only warning was the faintest whistle on the wind; Sasori tensed and a kunai flashed in his hand. Three glistening senbon fell to the grass in front of him.
A flicker of shadow made Deidara glance quickly upward. A masked figure perched in a tree high above them, robes flapping in the breeze. Three more needles were pinched between his fingers. Meanwhile, three more masked ninja slowly traversed the clearing toward them. Their faces were disguised by their animalistic camouflage; eyeing the fearsome markings on their masks, Deidara felt a shiver of fear.
"Ninja hunters," Sasori growled under his breath. "They must've been tracking us."
Deidara nodded faintly; he knew the masked warriors to be highly trained in assassination and disposal of their victims. He began to feel rather ill. "Danna…"
In one swift motion Sasori flung the kunai at the ninja in the tree; he dropped smoothly to the ground below with almost feline reflexes. With a short "Hn," Sasori withdrew instead a scroll, holding it in front of him.
"Listen, brat," he murmured, "I can distract them long enough for you to run. I'll deal with them and catch up in a minute."
Deidara shook his head vehemently, taking a step back. "Danna, I won't leave you!"
"You'll know you'll only get in the way in a fight," he said through his teeth. "Get out of here now, brat."
"But, danna-!"
"Go," he snapped, leaving no room for further argument. Deidara regarded him wide-eyed. Danna… He surfaced with a strained smile and a small nod.
"Got it, un."
As the ninja hunters advanced, Sasori flourished his scroll. For a moment, a thick cloud of smoke ensconced the clearing.
Deidara knew this was his only opening. He whirled, sprinting blindly for where he knew the edge of the clearing was. His muscles protested the sudden burst of speed, but he ignored the pain and focused instead on searching out the right path.
His sharpened golden eye caught the part in the trees and he bolted for his only escape route.
He passed the first wide trees, the branches scraping his bare arms – he'd abandoned his cloak earlier that morning with their forgotten bedrolls – but refused to look back.
He ran on, stumbling and gasping. He pressed a hand to his ribs, feeling his chest flame painfully with every intake of breath. He coughed, eyes tearing, but then clamped his mouth shut in denial of the pain. He had to be strong. For his danna.
Deidara raced onward, after a mile or so staggering off the path and nearly falling against a tree, gasping for breath. One shaky hand clutched the bark as he lowered himself to a crouch. Blearily he surveyed the path behind him, golden eye scoring the trees. He could sense no one following him; satisfied with that analysis, he closed his eyes and lowered his head onto his knees.
He huddled there a moment, toiling to control his rasping breathing. His chest hurt, everything hurt; it was all he could do not to cry out in pain. He gingerly reached around to his right shoulder, applying pressure. As he relieved some of the pain of his wound, he experimentally twitched his wing and bit down on his lip at the sudden jabbing sting.
Deidara closed his eyes, taking a slow breath. Inhale, exhale. He winced, gently releasing his shoulder.
He leaned back against the tree, bark digging into his back and folded wings. He cast his eyes again in the direction he had came – he was far enough from the path so as not to be seen, but from this angle could perceive any approaching ninja.
The forest was tranquil around him. The faintest breath of wind stirred the surrounding trees, rustling the leaves. Tiny creatures could be heard carousing in the treetops. But the overall silence only accentuated his pounding heartbeat.
Danna…
Deidara was still partially in shock; he had never run from a fight, but at Sasori's word he had. He knew he was weakened, he knew he had no jutsu – and yet he felt, as the truth sunk in, impossibly guilty. He knew the ninja hunters to be a ruthless sort, and his mind buzzed with worry. Sasori-no-danna…you promised to come back, un. His clawed hands coiled into fists at the thought.
To distract himself he dug into his pocket, removing a clay figure. He blinked; the first one his fingers selected was that unfamiliar bird.
Deidara clenched his hand around it. I can't stand this any longer, un, he thought, determined. His mind raced, calculating the amount of clay he had… Maybe, it could work, if he could only manage it…
He rose shakily to his feet, expression set. This art is for you, danna!
To be continued...
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Author's Note: Another cliffie... :P It's far from over now...
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