I do not own Naruto Masashi Kishimoto does and only Nokoribi and Momi belong to me.

The leading pair of the Akatsuki organisation had now been gone for a few days and the odd news that was received via messenger pigeon was that they had, had little luck finding the Phoenix Jinchuuriki.

During their days of absence the base had been quiet and with little happenings. This came as a shock to Nokoribi. She had thought the place would have surely been destroyed without Leader keeping everyone in line. However everyone seemed to be on their best behaviour. Even Tobi.

Nokoribi?

Yes?

I'm bored. We haven't done anything interesting in days.

Well, I've been enjoying this book…

I mean, anything that I find interesting. I know! Let's go outside.

You know only Kakuzu was permitted to leave the base. Why can't you just let me enjoy my last few days of living, relaxing? Why must there always be drama?

As Nokoribi flicked the page the door to the common room opened and in trudged Deidara. For a moment they both shared gazes, before the blonde scowled and changed his direction to the kitchen. She sighed.

He's still in a grump? Maybe you should find out what's wrong.

She closed her book and placed on the table, might as well, otherwise you'll never give me any peace.

Nokoribi sauntered into the kitchen and leaned against the doorway. Deidara stood at the side making himself a quick snack. Although he didn't look up, Nokoribi could tell the he acknowledged her presence.

"What do you want, hmm," he asked.

"Nothing really," she paused, "have I done something wrong to you? I mean, I said you're art was better than Sasori's so I assumed I was now in your good books."

"People like you…you don't appreciate my art. Those eyes mock my creations. You're just like him."

What the hell is he talking about?

I'm going to guess…your Sharingan.

"Are you mad because of these…" she asked lifting the palms of her hands.

He simply scoffed and walked past her, taking angry bites from his food.

"Deidara, don't be such a bitch. You really are such a girl."

He stopped dead. His frame seemed to shake slightly and he dropped whatever he was eating onto the floor.

"Don't call me that."

"Why? Are you too much of a girlie girl to stop me?"

Now, who's looking for a fight.

I'm sick of his attitude, I didn't ask for these…curses.

"One more time. Just once more," he whispered.

Nokoribi smirked, "come on hit me with your best handbag."

His body hurled around and he flung himself at her. His hand locked around her neck and he pushed her head down to his side, forcing Nokoribi into a headlock. She scrapped at his arms, but they would not break the hold. He walked with her out of the room, dragging her as he went.

"Will you stop pulling my hair? God you really do fight like a girl," Deidara pinched her scalp even harder, "ouch. Where are you taking me?"

"The arena. We'll settle this once and for all."

"Can't you let me walk? I'm not going to run away from a little fight with you."

He smirked, "but this is too much fun."

As Nokoribi was pulled they passed Kisame and Itachi who looked somewhat bemused by the pair.

"How adorable. It's their first fight," Kisame laughed, "should we follow to make sure they don't kill each other?"

Itachi nodded, "this should be interesting."

Now they're following? Great.

Nokoribi sighed, "Spectrum Skin."

Her body moved through Deidara's arm and she stood up straight with a scowl now twisting her features.

"Damn you and your Kekki Genki. It's time to settle this."

They had reached the arena. Itachi and Kisame made themselves comfortable at the side-lines while Deidara and Nokoribi took their stands.

"One rule."

Nokoribi looked up, "what now?"

"No Sharingans."

"I beat you before without using a Sharingan, remember?" she smirked.

Let's get this show on the road!

The area became silent. Nokoribi waited for his first attack, her eyes resting intently on him. But there was no movement.

Fine, I'll go first.

Her arms flung behind her back and she sprinted towards him.

Let's see how great your hand to hand combat is.

She leapt on to Deidara's form, thrusting all of her weight in his direction. As he fell to the floor she forced her knees into his shoulders so he couldn't get away. Her bawled fist crashed into his face, with no flaying arms trying to block her attack, which she did find a little strange. She hit him dead on the nose. Bull's eye.

Wait…what the?

She stared at her hand in confusion. It was now engulfed by a mound of clay. She tried to shift it but it was stuck.

When did he create a clone?

A crash erupted from the ground a few metres away and Deidara burst through the soil. Nokoribi cursed under her breathe.

"Katsu."

The blast hurled her body into the cliff side of the arena. Her arm, although it was fortunate it hadn't been blown off, was covered in burns with parts of her flesh missing. There was a crash as she hit the floor and a plume of dust surrounded her body.

Nokoribi let out a yell of pain. She grasped her arm, trying to nurse it as well as she could. In the corner of her eye she could see Deidara walking towards her. A blade glinted in his hand.

Is he insane? He could have killed me!

You did call him a girl.

Don't try to justify his actions. He nearly blew me up.

You've suffered worse pain, so get up and fight.

She groaned and scrambled to her feet. In the distance she spotted Kisame laughing, more than likely a result of her pain, and Itachi, who looked somewhat concerned. Deidara was now a few paces in front of her and his eyes seemed to blaze with excitement.

"That was quite the masterpiece," he said, "maybe we should create art together more often."

Nokoribi cocked her head, "yes, but let's swap roles. This time you're the one who gets burnt and blown up."

Her hands blasted several signs and an eruption of flames flew from the palms of her hands, engulfing the blond. However he managed to pull his body from out of the blaze, coming away with just a few scorches. An arrogant smirk covering his face as the smoke cleared, he looked over to where Nokoribi was.

But she no longer stood there.

In fact as he stared around the space, he saw no sign of her.

"She must have run," he sniggered, "how cowardly…"

His words were suddenly silenced. Kisame let out an amused gasp. Nokoribi now stood exactly in the spot Deidara had been standing.

Whilst he had been avoiding and concentrating on her first attack, Nokoribi managed to sparse out her chakra and use Spectrum Skin to phase beneath the ground. After the slow sludge of reaching him while under the surface, she grabbed his ankles and surged her own chakra through him. Making him too become ethereal.

It was simple after that. Deidara slid between the rocks and Nokoribi pushed herself up. Without her lasting contact however he returned to his regular form and now was trapped beneath the dirt.

Eat soil, you flamboyant terrorist.

Glaring at the ground, a pair of hands was just visible beneath the dirt. Nokoribi tickled the palms of them and grinned when the fingers grappled at her touch.

"Now Deidara," she said, "I think you owe me an apology and if you agree with me I'll pull you out. Wriggle your fingers once for no and twice for yes."

She paused and waited for his response. His hand twitched once.

"You realise your oxygen, if it hasn't already, will run out. Would you rather die than say sorry?"

His hands twitched twice.

"Well, that's not very nice. Especially since…ermm…it doesn't matter. Just apologise, you idiot."

There was a long pause but he finally flicked his fingers twice.

Make him pinky swear.

Isn't that a little childish…

Do not belittle the power of the pinky swear. No do it!

Okay, okay. Sheesh.

"Pinky swear," Nokoribi commanded.

Deidara's little finger curled and she too did the same. At the touch she sent a wave of her chakra into his own current and he finally hauled himself up.

"I'm sorry Nokoribi."

"Now, what are you sorry for?"

He smiled, "for this."

Deidara jumper from where he was crouched and pinned her down, his knees holding her arms in place. A kunai stung the skin of her throat. He leaned into her ear.

"I'm sorry for nearly blowing you up and for being stroppy with you over the past few days. I hope you understand that I do care for you."

"Then why the kunai then?"

"I can't have people think that I care about something else then art. It would make my devotion seem tacky," he smirked.

"Thanks," Nokoribi said, "now please let me go. I think I'm going to have to seek medical attention for my arm."

At side-lines Kisame strained to hear what was going on. However with his Mangekyō activated, Itachi had heard every word. A grin twitched slightly at the corner of his mouth.

Meanwhile in the remnants of Tsuki

"Pein, what has happened here?"

"I'm not sure, Konan. However this is most definitely the work of the Phoenix Jinchuuriki."

The pair walked along the path that had once lead to the Village Hidden in the Darkness but was now surrounded by its ashy fragments. They continued onwards into what used to be the centre, only now it was nothing more than a hollow crater. Buried beneath the wreckage a concealed prison was visible, its walls now black and charred.

Pein let out a disgruntled sigh as a mass of file paper was set free by a passing breeze and caught around his ankle. He picked them up and his grey eyes scattered along the paper as he read.

Konan stepped forward examining the burns, "do you think she escaped?"

"Of course," he smirked and slid the papers into Konan's hand.

"Impossible."

The paper slipped from her hand as they walked away from the village. The wind blew upwards and it revealed a photo a slim girl with her black her hanging loose by her shoulders. Her name was printed below.

Nokoribo Taiyo. Phoenix Jinchuuriki.

Sorry it's been so long everybody! Was suffering from massive writer's block but now I have masses of ideas for the chapters to come so they should be up pretty soon. Thank you for reading. :)