Angel's Wings

Jedi Goat

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Author's Note: Hey, we're almost done! Only one more chapter to go... I'll take this opportunity to thank everyone who's kept reading - through my slower updates and all - and who've reviewed so far! I love you guys!

Chapter 20

One couldn't explain the multitude of emotions coursing through his mind as Deidara stumbled upon the reality of that morning. They were heading to war against none other than Orochimaru, the creep who'd implanted his wings and given him such trouble over the past…what, month?

Time seemed to divide into two separate entities: before and after his wings. Before was a stranger's existence, a story he'd heard but never experienced himself; and the aftermath was regulated by pain but also brought out an attachment to his danna, his mentor, the one who guided him without ever deterring in his path.

Deidara smiled faintly, one hand going to his pouch bulging with clay. Despite any fear he had, he was ready to give everything in the battle today. It was, after all, the least he could do.

Tugging his robes comfortably over his folded wings, he wandered into the kitchen. Konan was already awake, greeting him with a smile; he returned the look as he sank into a chair beside her.

"How are things?" he murmured, tensed at the thought of the battle that lay ahead. Konan sighed, setting aside her steaming tea.

"They'll be upon the village in a couple hours. Pein-sama's already down there…getting the villagers ready." Worry was evident in her distant tone; Deidara nodded, silent. They would, at least, have the backing of the Rain village; yet, would it be enough?

There was a commotion in the doorway; Hidan stumbled into view, uttering a steady stream of curses as he leaned against the door frame. He was back in full robes, clothes hanging open on his thickly bandaged chest, scythe on his back. He was unnaturally pale as he fell into a chair across from them.

"I swear," he groaned, "someone's gonna pay for this shit." He passed a hand over his face, eyes narrowing. "At least one of us is feeling better," he jeered.

Deidara shrugged. "I'm okay, I guess, un."

"I'm okay," Hidan snorted. "Lucky bastard. Not all of us can say as much."

"Hidan," Konan said warningly, eyes narrowing. The Jashinist sighed noisily and glanced away.

"I'm just saying," he muttered. "This brat's lucky to still be alive."

Deidara ducked his head, fixated with his claws. If it hadn't been for their sacrifices, he knew, he wouldn't be here now. There was no way he could express that gratitude in words, however, so he was glad when Hidan said nothing else.

A moment passed in their respective silences before another figure appeared in the doorway. In an instant Deidara was on his feet with a cry of, "Danna!"

Sasori surveyed him a moment, finally blinking. "It's early, Deidara. You should be resting while you still can."

"But danna-!" he began, protesting.

Sasori shook his head, "Never mind. I suppose I can't control you, anyway." He ran a hand through his messy hair, approaching the table. Deidara pulled out a chair for him, at which he raised an eyebrow but nevertheless calmly sat.

The meal passed in near silence; no one had much to say that the others weren't already thinking. Deidara fidgeted, at once nervous and excited for what lay ahead. There was a spark of his old fire in his eyes; this was just another test to prove the worth of his jutsu, his art. And now that he had some confidence in his wings, too, well – Orochimaru was in for a surprise if he expected to find the broken ninja of so long ago.

When Konan rose, making the soft but clear announcement that they should follow Pein-sama down to the village, she had the instant attention and sobriety of all. The Akatsuki, silent as a shadow, followed her from the room. Deidara glanced around once at their identical grim faces – all focused on the trial ahead. Standing with them, knowing they had such unrelenting loyalty to fight when their collective security was threatened, gave him a surge of wild confidence. They were the Akatsuki… Even if all odds were against them, they would survive!

He stepped forward and fell into stride with Konan. Sasori was at his shoulder, withdrawn but tense; then Hidan and Kakuzu, for once in relative silence, each readied for battle. Deidara looked ahead once more, grimly smiling.

He swore to prove Orochimaru wrong. He would make that bastard into true art.

-/-

The forest stretched around them; near its border now, they ascended a slight rise and met up with the shadowy one they called Leader. He stood unblinkingly surveying the situation sprawling below in the open fields – two armies clashed, their battle shouts and resounding blows echoing back up the hill. The sound gave Deidara a thrill; he could already imagine flying overhead on his great bird, taking them out by surprise with his art… But that option wasn't available; today, he had a different target in mind; and he had promised as well to fight at his danna's side.

Silent as a shadow Konan swept to her partner's side. Her lips were pursed, her face oddly tense. "Pein-sama?"

"We'll be able to hold them off for a while," the Leader reported with cold confidence. "This is all the force I could muster at the moment; however, the village is preparing reinforcements as we speak." His gaze lingered on Konan; she nodded at the silent command.

"I'll oversee them." In a quick flicker of motion she was gone; the Leader, without turning, now addressed the remaining Akatsuki.

"We will fight; we have no choice but to do so. There is no need for excessive risk," he pressed, his stare flickering over them. "Stand with the army. You will provide backup only."

"And what of Orochimaru?" Sasori growled, eyes narrowed. "None of this is over until he is dead."

"Orochimaru is none of your responsibility. I do not wish to lose another member today."

Of course. Orochimaru was once one of us… Deidara shuddered at the thought, glancing sideways. He had been partners with danna, even…

His train of thought was intercepted as Sasori stepped forward. "Not my responsibility?" he repeated, his voice pure ice. "That bastard abducted my partner and gave me weeks of nothing but hell. And you're telling me I should let him walk away?"

The Leader's eyes narrowed faintly. "Watch your tongue, Sasori."

"I'll fight with him," Deidara supplied valiantly, falling into step with him. "Danna won't be alone, un!"

"You fools," Kakuzu grumbled. "I patched up your brat once. I won't do it again, Sasori."

"He's right." Sasori wasn't looking at him, but glaring steadily at the Leader. "You'll only get in the way, brat."

Deidara's fists clenched, claws digging into skin. "Don't care," he hissed. "I should have just as much reason to hate him, un! And I have my explosives with me this time… I'm ready to fight." His lips twisted darkly, his gaze set. "Nothing you say can stop me, danna."

Sasori closed his eyes; Deidara wondered if he, too, was reminiscing their conversation last night. I promised to stand by you, he repeated his mantra. Just like you've protected me, danna.

"If the kid wants to fight, I say let him," Hidan said, rolling his shoulders experimentally and grimacing. "Jashin knows we could use the help."

Deidara blinked gratefully at Hidan, but he already was running a careful hand over the razor edge of his scythe. He grimaced, "Are we gonna stand here all day talking? Let's kick that snake's ass already!"

Deidara nodded distant agreement, turning to Sasori. Neither he nor the Leader had yet relented their stares.

Finally the Leader closed his eyes. "I see," he murmured almost tiredly. "If it is the only way for you to resolve this…"

"It is," Sasori said stiffly.

"Then go. But I'm warning you…do not get yourselves killed." The Leader's sharp command echoed as Sasori briskly swept away; Deidara took only a second longer to follow without a glance back.

-/-

"Danna…"

"We're in enemy territory, brat. Shut up."

Deidara did, eyeing the flare of red hair bobbing in front of him. He ducked soundlessly beneath a reaching branch, imitating his partner's every move.

They wandered purposefully through dense forest, the trail leading them around the battle taking place out on the field. He could still hear the deadly clash of metal, the shouts of dying shinobi echoing on the wind. It tingled the hairs on the back of his neck; Deidara was on full alert, calling on his newfound senses to score the surroundings.

He wanted to tell his danna he could rely on him; he was fully prepared to do whatever it took to win this battle. But now, he reflected, sensing the tension in the air, he didn't need to. Sasori already knew the depth of his perseverance, even if he didn't always seem to appreciate it. He had, after all, watched Deidara fling himself into the path of an arrow for him; and then, when it seemed all was lost, it was for him that he finally spread his wings and took flight.

Deidara smiled. It didn't matter how strong Orochimaru was… Together, the two of them were unstoppable.

-/-

Orochimaru smiled thinly as two figures in blood-drenched clouded cloaks appeared on the edge of the ridge where he now stood, surveying the destruction below. Far below them, smoke billowed out over the Rain village; the scent of blood was on the wind.

"It seems," he hissed to Kabuto at his side, "we have some guests." He turned his hungry leer on the Akatsuki. Sasori said nothing, though his fiery gaze spoke volumes; beside him, the blond-haired brat clenched his fists, glaring as well from beneath his long bangs.

Orochimaru's long tongue flitted out the side of his mouth and his predatory grin widened. "So," he sneered, "I see you've managed to salvage your little friend. A pity, really ... letting him die would have been more merciful."

"Be quiet," Sasori snapped.

"Oh? Still testy, are we?"

"You've done enough here. Now it's my turn to pay you back, as I should have years ago." Sasori had unfurled a long scroll and made a quick motion with his hands; instantly puppets appeared around him, hidden blades sliding open on their wooden limbs to gleam in the sunlight. "This time, I'll kill you!" he roared, snapping his hand forward; the puppets lunged into action.

Orochimaru blinked. In a quick flash Kabuto had stepped in front of him, deflecting the first puppet with a sharp blow from his hand. Chakra flickered and died from his fingertips; the puppet crumpled in a heap, neatly cleaved in half.

"Why such a hurry?" Orochimaru queried silkily. "Why, it'll be no fun if it's over so quickly ... first," his tone hardened in a cackle, "I want to see your face as I murder your precious brat!"

He drew back his sleeve, where inky characters blazed against his pale skin; he swiped a bloodied finger along the markings, slamming his palm against the ground. "Summoning jutsu!"

Sasori caught Deidara's sleeve and they fell back; a heavy cloud of smoke billowed over the ridge, blinding them for an instant. Deidara braced himself, clenching a kunai in one fist and reaching toward his clay pouch with the other.

Then a great scaly head reared up, baring fangs as long as his arms. Deidara gaped upward as a humongous purple serpent slowly unraveled its coils, a forked tongue flicking out from its cavernous maw. The snake's beady amber eyes flitted in his direction, and it hissed.

"Kill them, Manda!" Orochimaru cackled.

A long tail swept toward them, unearthing shrubs and launching dirt into the air. Sasori reacted, quickly thrusting a puppet into its path to guard them; the purple appendage smashed straight through it, though not before several long blades pierced its hide.

The Akatsuki scattered. Sasori dropped back, cursing faintly, as Deidara leaped to avoid the thrashing tail. Black blood spattered his cheek as he dropped to the ground and he grimaced, rubbing the snake's blood away.

"Brat, look out!"

Deidara glanced up sharply to see the snake's huge head snapping down toward him; its eyes gleamed with raw hunger. The serpent was fast, but Deidara knew he had to be faster: he grit his teeth and called on his wings to help him.

The creamy wings expanded on either side of him, tearing straight through the fabric of his cloak. He was already moving; he leaped backward, catching the air with a powerful beat of his wings. Suddenly he was propelled upward, surprise flitting in his hunter's eyes as it twisted, too slow. The snake's fangs raked deep grooves into the ground and it hastened to pull back for another assault.

Deidara wheeled to land on all fours next to his danna, panting slightly in his rush of adrenaline. "I can take the snake," he declared. "You keep focused on him, un!"

Sasori nodded shortly as Deidara shot off again. His speed in the air was impressive; all the experience from flying his clay bird came rushing back and he twisted and cartwheeled in the air, using every inch of his feathers to his advantage. The serpent, bigger and bulkier, could only follow his movements more slowly, snapping his teeth irritably.

In midair Deidara threw his first explosive; powering his wings to rise higher he brought his hand up in a familiar hand seal, shouting, "Katsu!"

The explosion flared straight in Manda's face. The snake flailed its head, blinded by smoke, trails of blood running between its eyes. Hissing, it glared up at the strange creature flitting to and fro in its vision.

"Catch me if you can, un!"

-/-

Sasori turned his attention back to his opponent, eyes narrowed. He figured destroying Orochimaru alone would not be a problem; but Kabuto stood in the way, hands flaring with chakra raised, the light glinting off his round glasses. Having to maneuver his puppets around the man's unique medical jutsu posed another problem – he should have known Orochimaru would do everything to trap them. Now they were outnumbered.

Sasori cursed faintly and readied his puppets; he hadn't come this far to lose to his old spy. Kabuto smiled serenely at him.

"What now?"

"Now," Sasori growled, "I'm going to rip you apart!"

He sent his puppets flying. Two closed in on Kabuto with their long swords extended. In a flash Kabuto disappeared, his movements nearly invisible to the eye as he swung about. In mere heartbeats the two puppets clattered to the ground, missing several limbs.

"Is that all you've got?" Kabuto asked, nudging his glasses higher on his nose. "Pity…"

Sasori snarled.

Time and time again Sasori threw his puppets into the fray, pulling every trick he knew. Despite this the rubble around Kabuto increased, not even a drop of his blood among the wreckage. No amount of puppets could stop him; still smiling, Kabuto advanced.

"I'm disappointed, Master Sasori. You appear to have lost your touch."

"Shut up," Sasori hissed. He had a secret weapon: a marionette that had never failed its commander in battle. The scroll was in his hands as Kabuto stepped forward –

Something red flashed across his vision and Kabuto fell back with a cry, clutching a long stripe of blood down his sleeve.

"What -?"

Sasori didn't need to turn to hear the approach of footsteps, or a familiar drawl. "Hey, bastard, remember me?"

"Hidan," he said steadily to the silver-haired Akatsuki who had appeared beside him, balancing a giant bloodstained scythe between his shoulders, "what do you think you're doing?"

"Gettin' even," he decided, lips twisting at a grin. "For a month's worth of hell."

"Step aside," Kabuto warned, raising his hands once more. "Or I'll have to kill you for interfering."

"Didn't you hear me, bastard? A fight's exactly what I want." Grinning, Hidan hoisted his scythe once more and faced him.

As the duo faced off, Sasori surveyed the field. Orochimaru was hanging back, smiling as he observed the turmoil he had created. To his right Sasori distantly saw the purple snake still twisting in vain after its prey; and now metal flashed as Hidan, yelling, flung himself at Kabuto. The medic blocked with his chakra-infused hands and they both fell back, sizing each other up.

It was his only chance at an opening. Sasori summoned forth the Third Kazekage and rose to meet Orochimaru, alone.

"Well, now," Orochimaru chuckled. "The Akatsuki fights as well as it ever did. Let's conclude this once and for all and find out who's stronger." His lips widened in a sneer as he folded his hands in a seal.

Sasori snarled and lunged, the Kazekage's strings whipping forward from his fingertips. Orochimaru tilted his head back and opened his mouth. Within the coils of his tongue glinted the handle of a sword; he drew out its long blade, licking his lips as he brought the katana up to block.

The Third Kazekage's poisoned blades clashed against metal; Sasori drew back and came in for another assault. Orochimaru parried his every move with his sword, still grinning coldly. Neither gained an advantage as they performed their deadly tango: back and forth, quick flickers of silvered metal, neither landing a blow. The Kazekage's unmoving stare was steely; Orochimaru's amber eyes gleamed.

"You'll die here, Orochimaru," Sasori growled, chakra flying from his fingertips. "I'll make you atone for all these years you've lived a traitor!"

"I wouldn't be so certain if I were you," Orochimaru purred.

"I have every reason to be ... I promised a certain brat I wouldn't let you leave this place alive!"

-/-

Deidara dived sideways to avoid Manda's snapping fangs. His wings responded to his split-second reactions, pulling to his sides as the wind rushed by, a large purple head passing harmlessly overhead.

He grinned slightly, twisting in midair to toss a clay bird after it; a second later, Manda jerked back in the blast, blood running down from its right eye.

"You'll pay for that, you pesky fly," hissed the snake.

Deidara smirked as he turned back around; his eyes widened as Manda's long tail whipped back toward him. He dropped to evade it, wings clamped to his sides. But the snake swung low at him, too fast, clipping his wings, hard.

The blow sent him reeling and Deidara slammed into the ground, coughing up dirt. Dazed, he rolled away, taking silent tally of his injuries: he could still move, which was good enough for him.

Deidara raised his head as the snake wheeled around to face him again, tongue flitting out to taste the air. He groped for his side pouch of clay and grimaced – he'd nearly used it all up in the battle. He had only one clay eagle left; as the serpent's head reared up, he sent chakra to his fist and launched the bird into the air.

"Take ... this!"

The bird exploded. Manda shook its head with a furious hiss; blood dripped from its maw. Then, furious, it leered back down at him; Deidara flared his wings.

A quick blow of the serpent's tail was enough to send him sprawling back to earth. Deidara shook his head, stunned, tasting blood in his mouth from when he'd hit his head. He struggled up on his knees, braced to fly again.

Manda's head snapped back downward. Deidara made to move but couldn't; the world spun around him and he gasped, landing on his hands and knees. I've pushed myself too far already – I'm not fully healed yet!

The snake's open mouth came down greedily, twin fangs glistening with rivulets of its own dark blood.

Deidara's breath hitched; he could hardly move from the sudden wave of pain. "Danna!"

-/-

"Now I've got you!" Orochimaru shouted in glee, bearing down on Sasori with his sword outstretched. The Third Kazekage loomed behind Orochimaru, jaws agape, the thin blade hidden within its mouth coming down like a long tongue –

-/-

Deidara closed his eyes, awaiting the blow -

.

.

.

It never came.

He opened his eyes to a shadow standing over him. Deidara glanced up in the sudden stillness; it was the Third Kazekage, robes torn and battered, that stood between him and the snake; a long blade pierced the top of Manda's gaping mouth, stabbing straight out the other side. Dark blood dripped down the sword. The snake's eyes had rolled back – it was dead.

Finally releasing a shaky breath, Deidara turned to look down the field. At once all the color drained from his face and for an instant he swore his heart had stopped.

"Danna!"

A ways away from him, Sasori stood frozen, as if suspended in a lost moment of time, Orochimaru's long blade impaled straight through his chest.

To be continued...

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