Author's Notes:
QUICK UPDATES FTW! It wasn't all that fast this time, but I did procrastinate for 3 and a half days, and write the chapter in about six hours, split between two days. Thirty minutes the first, 5 and a half the second.
But no one cares :3
By the way, today signals the end of three things:
1-The end of my fascinating anime, Soul Eater. The end made me raise a brow and question the author, though. Anyways, WATCH IT. IT OWNS YOU. It doesn't own Shippuden and FMA, though xD My third favourite anime ^^
2- The end of this chapter. No explanation needed.
3- The end of my classes ;D I'm so happy, today was the last day we had theorical courses ^^ Tomorrow, we have a party and a show and stuff, and from Friday until Wednesday, we have half-day exams. So my schoolyear is as good as finished! ^^
Well guys, I really want to thank you all again for over 200 lovely reviews. You ahve no idea how happy I am. All of you who are reading this right now, I love you. Specially my lovely reviewers, being...:
DeidaraBlondeFox, hollow raven, TeenageNeko, HarajukuSushi, Skarsgaard, LibiTheWolf, Midnight Moonfly, .lolcatsrule., DecepticonDefenestrater, avietar, maxsunnyAK 47, K.T., Tayi and Josephin Tonks. Love you ALL, UNCONDITIONALLY! :DD
Yeah, uhh... turning point chapter, please pay attention everyone, and don't mind some bad language. You'll understand at the end, they have their reasons for the language O_O" And surprisingly, it's not Hidan this time :DD
ENJOOOOOOY~
PS: Disclaimer: I fought with Chuck Norris over the rights to Naruto, but he won. So I don't own Naruto or its characters. Itachi DOES own Sasuke, though.
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
"We can rest here tonight, and get going tomorrow." Kakuzu announced as we reached a clearing. "We're only a few hours away from the hideout. But..." he looked at me, and I shrank under his cold gaze. "Deidara needs to rest."
"My lungs hurt, un..." I panted painfully.
"You just need some proper rest and recovery. I can give you some medicine when we get home, too. You probably irritated a lung or something, or an internal wound hasn't healed properly." The medic muttered, getting about to his chores.
"I'll go get some wood... again." Hidan announced before walking off.
"Food." Sasori-Danna grunted as he headed off into the woods.
Exhausted against my will, I dropped on the ground, taking deep breaths.
"We're almost there, don't worry, Deidara. In just a few more hours, you'll be able to get some proper rest and medical treatment. Plus, I'm sure Itachi will be delighted to see you. You should have seen his face when he was told he would not be coming. Like a child just having his candy stolen." Kakuzu snickered humourlessly, looking up at the sky.
"It's gonna rain, isn't it, un?" I whispered tiredly, looking at the looming clouds.
"Leader-sama's jutsu." Kakuzu nodded. "Go under those trees. Last thing we need is you getting sick." He ordered.
I stayed silent for a moment, staring at the ground. Tears welled up in my eyes.
"Kuzu..." I called just as the zombie turned around to go clear a space for a fire.
"Hmm?"
"How can I become stronger, un?" I asked desperately in a whisper.
"Why would you want to become stronger?" Kakuzu asked as he chose a spot and cleared all the stray branches and leaves from it.
"I don't want to be protected anymore, un..." I whispered, down.
"Why not?"
"It makes me feel inferior. To everyone who does protect me, un." I gripped my healed arms tighter. "They fight, sweat, and bleed to survive, and not only that, but they also pay double because I am incapable of doing so myself, un. I feel like I'm being treated like a child, a porcelain doll, a rare artefact. I don't want to, un. I want to fend for myself from now on..."
"Deidara, don't question yourself too much on the issue. When you grow up, you'll get stronger." Kakuzu answered, picking up large rocks.
"No, I won't!" I sniffled. "Because it's always getting delayed! They always tell me it'll come with time, un, but it won't, because I'm not trying hard enough!" I looked at him desperately. "But no matter how hard I try, I can't do it alone, un... I need someone to help me, guide me, watch over me from afar. Not worry, or protect, un. Just make sure I'm on the right path..." I whispered the last part, returning to my upright foetal position.
"And how do you know you're on the right path right now?"
I gasped, looking up at him quizzically.
"I-I don't get the question, un..."
"How do you know you're making the right choices? I mean, really, you're in an organization full of blood-thirsty criminals and are seeking to make the right choices. Does that really make sense to you?" the stitched-nin questioned me as he worked on the fire pit.
I stayed quiet for a moment, thinking over his question. I survived until this day, leaving out the fact that I received help from other people too, but I still did. I stayed alive and fought till the end, so my decisions couldn't have been THAT bad... Of course I was making the right choices.
"Right?" I verbalized my last question to myself.
"Right what?" Kakuzu pressed on.
"Talking to myself." I muttered, looking up at him, determined. "Actually, Kakuzu, I don't know." I shrugged casually. "I have no idea where I am and what I'm doing. I'm blind in both eyes in this world, so I can't see where I'm going, or what I have to choose from, un. But... There is one thing I am sure of." I nodded. "One decision, the only decision I'm sure I did the right way, un. The very first decision I was asked to make. And I'm 101% sure that joining the Akatsuki was not a mistake, un."
"You were a child. Did you not hesitate, or choose randomly?" the Taki-nin asked, dusting his hands off.
"Maybe I was a child." I lowered my eyes again, but my determined look didn't fade for the least. "But I'm sure I acted as an adult for a moment, and chose right. I would never have gotten this far if I'd declined, un. Sure, I was a bit confused and unsure, worried and scared, too. But... A past littered with pain is better than a blind future, to my eyes. Sure, I acted childish by wanting to escape the shadows of the past, but it proved to be the best decision of my entire life, un."
There was a small silence as I felt Kakuzu's stare directed at me. I kept my eyes to the ground, though.
"Strong words for a broken child."
"Heh." I snickered confidently, looking up to his snickering eyes. "Don't you worry about the broken child. Someday, and not just in an undefined time, but in a few years, he'll be the greatest ninja his village ever spouted out, un." I wiped my nose with the tip of my finger.
There was another silence, then the medic chuckled, turning around to help Hidan, who was coming in from the other side of the clearing with branches and logs in his arms.
"Good to have you back, Deidara."
I grinned, watching Kakuzu walk off to assist Hidan.
For a while, I just sat there, under the trees, watching the partners argue over something, but help each other make the fire. For just a moment, a warm smile passed on my face, and I wondered what it'd be like if my own partner acted that way with me.
In a way, he did. On the outside, rough and emotionless, but on the inside, he did care...
I think...
I shook my head sadly as a few images from my captivity flashes by.
At first, I refused to acknowledge the presence of my red-headed saviour in my agonizing captivity.
Then, it slowly started to sink in that this is what he wanted all along.
By the end, I feared all that moved, all that lived. Broken, that's exactly the word that describes it. Shattered, and left for dead, a mad mind as black as the night, a tortured soul confined in a tortured body. So many tears, so many screams, so many cries and what did they mean?
Nothing, absolutely nothing.
In the end, it doesn't even matter.
And you only realize that when you are thrown back into the empty room, pitch black surrounding you as your only escape is shut off, your mind begging to be freed from the confinement of your agonizing body.
Danna had made me realize all that.
Or should I say Orochimaru?
I don't even know who to trust anymore.
Were Danna and Kakuzu lying? Was this all a plot from behind Leader-sama's back? Or was he involved too...?
Maybe Orochimaru was a figment of my imagination. Maybe I made him up because I refused to believe that I was being hurt by the person I'd followed so blindly for years. Maybe he was my ideal antagonizer, and Danna was my ideal saviour...
My mind is sinking into the depths of madness. I'm surprised it had not occurred until now. It must have been the rescue, yes, it must have been that. It was the bond that reunited the shards of my shattered mind, and now that it is whole again, it can finally catch up to everything it has been through.
How do I know who to trust anymore...?
"Hey."
I gasped sharply and almost jumped from my seat, shivering as I looked up, surprised.
"W-Who's there, un?"
I looked behind the trees. From my angle, I could see a body, but from the others' point of view, I'm pretty sure the person couldn't be seen.
"Don't worry, it's just me..." a deep voice soothed as a figured detached itself from the shadows of the advancing twilight.
"Ah..." I relaxed as something blue flashed in front of my eyes. "It's you..."
A tall, slender figure entered my view, a familiar piece of metal glinting off the dying sunlight.
"Who are you again, un?" I groaned hopelessly. My mind and memories were very mixed up and blurry. I'm pretty sure I'd forgotten some stuff.
"Silly, I'm your guardian angel, right?" the woman smiled softly, her navy blue tank top sticking to her body, leaving her midriff open.
"Yes, guardian angel..." I sighed out in relief, eyeing the piercing under her lip.
"Deidara, don't worry so much." The nice lady smiled, turning around to watch the dying sunset.
"About what, un?"
"Everything." She turned back, her gentle smile still plastered on her face. "You think over these things too much. Relax, and just indulge in the fact that you're free, and going home. No one's gonna hurt you anymore now..."
"But what about Da-"
"Sasori won't, either. You're just making conclusions up on your own. Just listen to your friends and the people who care for you. Leave the past behind and keep looking forward, even if you ARE blind to the world. You've got a wonderful entourage, don't ever give that up for anything else." The lady advised softly.
"Lady, you sure know how to make things better, un." I whispered softly.
"That's why I'm here, Deidara." The woman giggled. "Here's some friendly advice." She completely turned to me. I lifted my eyes to look at her completely. "Don't question yourself about who to trust. You'll feel it in your heart, if the person you can trust is standing in front of you. Are you insecure? Don't do it. And trust the Akatsuki. They're nice fellows. Even though they are criminals."
"Alright, un..."
"Do you believe in the saying honour among thieves?"
"Yes..."
"That's what the Akatsuki is all about. They're a bunch of people who have lost their lives, families and friends, and to compensate, want to find a bond in a criminal organization. Not the best choice, I do admit, but in this world, you do what you have to do to survive." She chuckled at that.
"Oh, r-right, un." I blushed.
"I'll be watching you, Deidara. Just follow your heart. Even when your mind disagrees. Sasori is not the one who hurt you..." she bent down, and extended her hand with a warm smile. "Trust me on this."
I gaped for a moment, then, melting in her warm aura, I smiled back, and extended my hand, just enough to touch hers.
"I do."
And before I knew it, all that was left was a sheet of blank paper in my hand. Smiling thankfully, I clutched it to my heart.
"Oi, pipsqueak."
I turned around and flinched as Hidan surprised me.
"Who were you talking to? There's no one there." He muttered out loud, putting a hand to my forehead. "You don't look sick..."
"I'm not sick, un." I rolled my eyes.
"Anyways. Sasori brought some food, so dinner'll be ready soon. It's a little chilly, so come closer to the fire until the rabbit cooks." He invited.
I blinked, still surprised from all the conversations I was having with various people, then, eyeing Sasori and Kakuzu who were sitting around a fire, chatting politely, I smiled and nodded.
"Be right there, un."
...OOOOOOOOOOOO...
"Are we almost there, un?" I whined as we travelled through the damp leaves. It was still raining, and since Kakuzu's cloak was too big for me, I had to content myself with the same crappy outfit I'd had to wear for over a year now.
"Yes. Beyond those trees is the hideout." Kakuzu nodded.
"About goddamn time..." Hidan complained alongside me. "This entire trip has been one pain in the ass, for the least."
"Why thank you, un." I rolled my eyes sarcastically.
We travelled a bit more in silence until we hit the end of the trees. That's where we finally jumped down, and landed in the field.
We were facing the meteorite from the back. My eyes lit up as I looked towards the top. I'm almost there...
As if responding exactly to my thought, my legs started wobbling, but I took a deep breath and tried staying up. If I failed here, I'd bring nothing but extra shame on my name. Not that getting captured wasn't enough of a sign of weakness.
"We're almost there." Sasori-Danna quietly encouraged, and I lightly blushed, liking how he talked to me. Maybe he wasn't that bad of a guy after all...
"Alright, let's go then. I've been feeling homesick for the last twelve months, un." I winced amusedly, breaking into a joyful run towards the hideout.
I quickly reached the meteorite, and, testing my chakra, I experimentally put my legs up on the dented surface of the cooled off rock. To my utter surprise and joy, though, the bottom of my feet adhered perfectly. Smiling in glee, I quickly started climbing, finding it to be exhausting. But at least I was still able to use my chakra.
With all the experiments Orochimaru did on me, I don't even know what's genuinely mine anymore.
...OOOOOOOOOOOO...
Danna opened the hideout for me as Orochimaru had stolen my stuff, including my ring, afterwards, we went to Leader-sama for a small report. He didn't sound overjoyed, but the interest in Danna's report told me that he cared at least a little.
Kakuzu then prompted me to his office, Hidan saying he was hungry and heading to the kitchen. Danna, having nothing to do, tagged along as we entered Kakuzu's infirmary.
"Wow, un, it hasn't changed a bit." I commented as we entered the turquoise-tiled room. "A little dusty though."
"You're the only one reckless enough to get hurt, so without you around, we didn't need this place much." The stitched-nin snickered, turning on the lights. "Lie down in the usual place."
"Mhm." I nodded, heading over to the small bed and sitting down.
"Take off your shirt." The medic ordered, pulling out some antiseptic and clean bandages.
I gulped down and pulled my ripped, and frayed shirt away.
"You won't be needing that anymore." The Taki-nin took my shirt from my hands, throwing it into the garbage can.
"O-Oh." I blinked, surprised.
"Now, let's see how your wounds are healing." He told me, sitting down on a nearby chair and peeling my bandages off.
I was surprised at the sight of my own skin, watching as the wounds took a harsh red colour, swelling. My entire body, previously covered in bandages, was now red and swollen. My back still hurt, even more so when Kakuzu touched it to see if my nervous signals were functional.
"You seem to be healing well. Some of the infections have already gone into your bloodstream, so it can't be helped. I'll give you some antibiotics and painkillers until you recover fully. Until then, drink lots of water, and get lots of rest." He advised.
"Yes Sir, un." I snickered sarcastically.
"Sasori, no training until I say so. And you're in charge of your partner, make sure he doesn't overexert himself. He probably should walk around to keep his body from rusting, but whenever he feels tired, he should immediately stop and do something that doesn't require much effort or movement." Kakuzu told him as he finished wrapping some bandages over my torso to cover the red gashes.
"I'm right here, and I can hear, un." I muttered, blushing.
"Just in case you forget your place, brat." Danna answered in a quiet mutter.
My gaze fell, but I shrugged it off, simply settling for a "I'm not a brat, un."
"Okay, you're off. Take these pills twice a day." He handed me a bottle of pills. "And these whenever it hurts." He gave me another bottle of pills.
"Thank you, Kakuzu. Can never thank you enough, un." I smiled as I jumped down from the bed, my bones aching in protest at the sudden movement.
"Let's go, you need your rest." Danna gave me a slight push on the back, and I smiled, feeling more and more comfortable with his presence.
Without any other exchanged words, we left the infirmary.
We walked in silence for a while, until we reached the hall where the rooms were lined up.
We were about to enter our room before the door on our left was opened, and out came a pair of familiar figures.
"D-Deidara?"
I turned around, and smiled as I faced Itachi. He seemed older, but maybe that's just me.
"Hello, Itachi, un."
"Thank Kami, you're safe." He huffed out. "I really wanted to come, but someone..." he fired lightning with his eyes at my red-headed partner. "Someone wouldn't let me come."
"Hey, hey, important thing is I'm here right now, right, un?" I pointed out.
"That's the most important thing." Kisame smiled back at me, relieved. "I'm so glad you're back, you had me scared there for a while."
"Me too. I thought Orochimaru had maybe... you know... killed you or something..." Itachi whispered, looking at the ground.
"Hey, hey, he didn't, so what's the long face for, un?" I laughed reassuringly.
"Nothing." He lifted his eyes, smiling lightly. "I'm just glad you're okay." He advanced a bit and patted my hair. I looked up at him, ready to lecture him about patting my hair like that, but, seeing the thankfulness and genuine joy sparkling in his otherwise sunken ebony eyes, I smiled, and decided to let it slip just this once.
"Alright Deidara, Kakuzu said you should get lots of rest. Come on." Sasori-Danna broke the moment, swinging the door open.
"Yes, Danna, un." I snickered, moving away from my raven-haired protector, and waving at both him and his shark-faced partner. "G'night guys!"
"Sleep tight, Deidara..." Itachi smiled sadly before heading off.
"Good night." Kisame grinned a toothy grin before following Itachi to the living room.
"Come on." Danna ushered me in, and I laughed, imagining him as a housewife for a moment.
"I don't wanna sleep, though." I whined as I walked inside my room, dusty from lack of use.
"Then do something in bed." Danna suggested as he headed to his bed and dusted the unused sheets off. I headed for mine, and winced as I pushed all the dust off my sheets. They were so dusty that I coughed.
"Mmm..." My mind clicked as I remembered a pleasure I'd been stripped of this entire time. I grinned expectantly. "I wanna play with my clay, un."
"Well, grab some, and get to bed." He ordered coldly.
"As you wish." I shrugged, kinda let down by his cold attitude, but opened my drawer anyway. I then pulled out a chunk of white clay, and, feeling the nice, squishy texture under my fingers, I sighed in bliss and opened my sheets, sleeping in. I was too exhausted to clean up. I'll take a shower tomorrow.
"Be right back." Danna informed me before walking out of the room.
Left alone to my thoughts, I slowly started moulding the chunk of unused clay, my smile growing every time I squished it a little more.
There was complete silence in the room, the day going on outside. I felt my eyelids drooping, and, yawning, I decided that I'd make one quick sculpture and get some sleep.
I just started making the overall shape of my bird when suddenly, my heart lurched.
I blinked to clear the nausea, but it only came back a few seconds later. I felt like throwing up, and it was getting worse by the minute.
I shakily went up to clutch my chest, loosening the bandages under my grip. My heart was pumping fast now, and I wondered if I was getting heart problems.
A sharp pain suddenly hit my chest, and I cried out, feeling fire coursing through me. I shakily tried to grab my painkillers, but my hands were so shaky that I only succeeded in getting the bottle to drop.
Panting painfully now, my entire upper area hurting really badly, I clutched my heart, trying to breathe normally. It didn't work, though, because I only felt the pain worsen.
"What's going on, un?" I choked out painfully. Kakuzu should have told me if I was having heart problems, but this wasn't anything like that. This was more like a superficial pain...
And it suddenly happened.
All the pain concentrated itself on the left side of my chest, and suddenly erupted.
I screamed in agony as something solid shot right out of my chest.
My screams only worsened when I identified the mass of pink flesh.
A fucking tongue.
My day could not get any worse than this.
Dropping my clay, I screamed in horror and pain, my brain overworking, trying to figure out what the hell this thing was, and why in hell it was protruding from my chest.
It suddenly licked the skin around the slash it had protruded from and attacked my clay. I watched in surprise and horror as it promptly started chewing on the clay.
The pain slowly started going away, and I had time to think this over. This must be what Orochimaru had done to me. He added an extra mouth to my chest!
AS IF TWO FREAKIN MOUTHS WEREN'T ENOUGH ALREADY.
Tears I hadn't noticed rolled down my cheeks, intensified when the sharp pain returned.
It was then that the door slammed open, and Danna ran in.
"What the hell you screaming for, brat?" he asked, hurrying to my side.
"D-Danna..." I cried out, terrified. "O-Orochimaru, h-he..."
"What did he do?" Danna hissed venomously.
"H-He conducted research on my kekkei genkai and added a third mouth on my chest, un." I sobbed. "Help me, Danna, I'm scared!"
"Alright, alright, calm down." He told me, his eyes directed at the moving portion of my chest, where my third mouth was chewing on the clay. "Tell me how this happened, and- holy shit, you're disappearing."
I shakily lifted up my hand to look, and screamed again when I faintly saw through my arm.
"Oh god, what's happening!" I screamed, terrorized. "I don't wanna die, un!"
"Relax, relax, tell me exactly what happened!" Danna ordered urgently.
"W-Well, I was playing with my clay, and a sharp pain hit me in the chest. It just popped out of my chest and swallowed the clay and is now chewing on it, un." I finished quickly, blank with terror. Or maybe it was just the fact that I was FREAKIN DISAPPEARING.
"The clay." Danna whispered to himself.
"The clay, un?" I asked shakily.
"Yes, the clay! If your chest mouth is the same as your hand mouths, then that must mean it reacts to clay and explodes!" he made out.
"WHAT!" I screamed out loud. "I DON'T WANNA DIE!"
"Hello hellooooo~"
We both turned towards the entrance, seeing an orange mask peeking in.
"Deidara-chan, welcome back!" Tobi greeted.
"TOBI!" Sasori called. "GET KAKUZU! NOW!" he ordered. "Deidara's in danger!"
"Oh no! Tobi will get Kakuzu-senpai right away!" the orange-masked man nodded and ran off.
"Okay, Deidara, I want you to concentrate." He ordered. "Look at me."
I shakily opened my eyes, not finding it very easy to concentrate when I was practically hyperventilating.
"You HAVE to throw that clay back up." He urged.
"How?" I asked, desperate.
"I don't know, it's your body. First, calm down. Then, just think of what you do when you're done chewing clay with your normal hand mouths." He told me very seriously.
"I-It's a reflex to throw the clay back up, un!" I blurted out, panicking as my fingers and hand completely disappeared.
"Decompose that reflex, order your chest mouth to throw the clay back up." He nodded to encourage me.
"I-I can't!"
"TRY!"
I took a deep breath, and closed my eyes, trying to block out the fear taking over my mind. Slowly, I urged my frantic brain to send messages to the new organism integrated in my body, to order him to throw the clay back up.
The sharp pain returned, again, making me scream and choke, but I didn't let go for the least. I faintly heard someone running into the room, but concentrated on getting to spit the clay up again.
"DAMMIT!" I screamed, feeling pain erupt in my chest just like the first time. My eyes were drawn at my forearms, which were now completely gone. The tip of my toes were following. "THROW IT BACK OUT, NOW, UN!" I screamed as the pain reached its climax.
And suddenly, the mouth burst open, blood and spit splattering everywhere. The ball of wet clay simply flew out, and rolled on the covers.
"Holy- What the hell is that?"
"I don't know, something Orochimaru implanted in his body."
I wish I could clear things up for Kakuzu, but, drained and agonizing, I coughed a bit. Slowly, my chest mouth retracted back into my body, and the pain faded away, as did my consciousness.
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Author's Notes:
MWAHAHAHAAAAA~ Bet you didn't see that coming.
Well, actually, a couple of you did. Congratulations to... uhhh... I can't remember, but some people actually guessed that Orochimaru had something to do with the appearance of his chest mouth (: I'm not very subtle, lol xD
I'm cosplaying for Deidara at Otakuthon, as some of you know, but I can't dye my hair blonde since it's too dark. So I'm looking for wigs. If any finds a long blonde wig I can alter, please send me a link. Not too pricey, though, I'm not Bill Gates O_O"
And yeaaah... uhh... That's it. Next chapter will probably conclude this huge arc, and start a new one... FILLER ARC FTW! :DD Hey, don't diss teh fillerz. Diss the Naruto ones, not mine xD My fillers (2 are planned right now) are gonna be fun chapters with lots of jokes and amusing stuff to tear away from the dark feel that this fic gives in :3 Doesn't help that one of the fillers is dark, too O_O"
Anyways, I can't say more about the next chapters. You'll just have to wait ;)
So yeah, uhh... Questions gladly answered, and hope you all liked this chapter, and PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE REVIEEEEEEEEEEEW~
-Next time: Revenge