The Wound
They had only begun to cover ground. Sasori had once again withdrawn back into his puppet armour, causing the pair to move at a slower pace. It seemed a bit dangerous to be going at such a speed to Deidara, who was quite sure that no amount of stealth would secure them a good chance of escaping. For now though, things seemed pretty quiet. According to his danna, the guard around the Village should have dispersed from the sides of the village, probably to take on Orochimaru who had given them the good fortune of an excellent distraction. Like this, they could practically stroll around the village and make it back to where they had started.
Deidara couldn't exactly help but think about what had happened though. He'd never pulled something like this before, since he usually faced his problems head on or hid from them. His achievements weren't directly rewarded though, his prize being a scold from Sasori if anything. Of course, he earned a hug as well, granted a bad one but in the situation they were in, Deidara didn't blame him for failing even worse than he did back at the inn they had met in.
He wasn't fond of hugs. Unlike most children who had been raised affectionately by their parents, Deidara had lived a life of solitude, usually with material rewards. A embrace just seemed...out of place, awkward. Not only that, but he wasn't particularly fond of casual touch either, since most of the physical contact he had ever gotten was being chopped upside the head by Onoki or being thrown to the ground in training. Even then, there was a sort of humour to be had with the kind of embrace Sasori gave, since it practically embodied the idea of being out of place and awkward. There was no denying it, that's all they were, and Deidara somehow...didn't mind. The idea that the feeling was mutual was comforting really.
The walk was interrupted when the boy collided against the round backside of Hiruko, having not noticed it stop. Deidara stumbled back and rubbed his nose, gritting his teeth to hold in a wine.
"There's a squad up ahead. We should hide, follow me." Sasori whispered before ducking under a thick bush and a cluster of trees. As instructed, the blond followed in suite, pressing himself close to the elder's cloak while on all fours.
As predicted, up ahead a large group of ninja were grouped together. They seemed to be discussing a plan of some sort, and yet their words seemed out of earshot.
"Here's your first lesson of training. A ninja must be able to conceal themselves in one's surroundings, surely you know even that."
Deidara rolled his eyes. "I know."
"Right now we're outnumbered, and we're not here to pick a fight like Orochimaru. I repeat, killing isn't always the way to go. Leaving the bodies behind would be like marking our location."
"I know."
"We'll move around them. Be very quiet." Sasori emphasized.
"I know."
A skeptical look was sent towards the child. Hiruko seemed to accept it and shuffle towards the right, little boy in toe. Choosing to crawl on the floor, the blond kept a wary eye on the group. Leafy branches obscured his path, raking against his face and side. Normally, this wouldn't have been a problem, but Deidara had been out of practice for too long. In the days before, he'd be training nearly everyday, so taking such a long break from it all must have effected him somehow.
Deidara made a small grunt of annoyance. Pulling a bug out of his hair, he gazed ahead to see that Sasori had gotten farther away. A pang of fear rose within him, the feeling of security quickly fading with every inch that the space between them grew. In a vain attempt to catch up, he scrambled to his feet despite the rustling sounds that resulted.
Snap
Everyone froze. The child felt his face drain of colour, warily glancing past his shoulder to see that he had snapped a twig. He shifted his foot out of the way, suddenly realizing what he had just done.
On instinct, one of the ninja pulled out a kunai and aimed it in the boy's direction. Deidara could only stand, unable to react fast enough to dodge the quickly advancing blade. Rattling sounded as a shadow came over his face, the segmented tail of Hiruko quickly deflecting the kunai.
"You knew, huh?" Sasori snarled at the child, quickly standing between the squad and the boy.
"It's not my fault! It was too dark!" Deidara argued.
Suddenly, he froze again, hand mouths jerking violently in warning before a crack formed in the earth around them. It didn't take long for the child to realize what jutsu was being utilized, air pressure pushing him down as a platform of dirt pushed both into the air. Sasori quickly moved closer to the blond, watching a shinobi emerge from the ground with a sword raised in hand. Whipping his tail out, he quickly struck it down, ignoring the wails of pain that resulted.
Both jumped off the platform, landing on the ground unharmed. Upon the sight of them, a gasp arose from the enemy, stepping back.
"Akatsuki!"
Sasori frowned and turned Hiruko's head back to his subordinate. "If it's dark it should be easier to hide!"
"I'm sorry!" Deidara snapped sarcastically.
One ninja stared directly at the boy with wide eyes. "Hey! I know that kid!"
"Sorry isn't enough, boy!" The puppet steered fully towards the source of annoyance, obviously ignoring the calls of the enemy ninja.
"What do I say then?"
Swiftly, the pair were surrounded, four ninja holding up their weapons warily. Deidara took a glance around, eyes wide with slight curiosity. He'd never seen this formation before in his training. A cry came from above, capturing the blond's attention as he quickly gazed upwards, noticing too late to react as a group of ninja had jumped into the air around them, swords in hand ready to plummet down on the pair.
Sasori easily spied the ninja, sweeping his tail with such power that it created a blast of air, easily, countering the shinobi above them. Deidara braced himself, holding both arms out defensively as to hold his ground against the massive gust. The boy grit is teeth, trying his best to stay on the floor without being blown off like all the others, hair whipping in the wind wildly.
Once the gust had settled, the boy recovered from the stance. Sasori seemed to finally notice the shinobi more directly, turning towards them with a menacing look. Deidara blinked, taking a moment to realize what they were readying themselves for. Once it clicked, the child smiled wide, face becoming sinister and twisted as he spied the ninja behind him, still thrown on the ground.
This is my chance! The child smirked and whirled towards the other ninja, quickly having his hand mouth spit out an already made explosive. Deidara had made a bunch during his initiative to attempt to rescue Sasori, only using three to execute his plan. Now, he had about four left, and they would be useful. Spitting out two more, the child made sure to try and load a bit more chakra than the previous ones, instinctively gauging the levels of energy he used.
Sasori easily batted away another flurry of shuriken, cursing to himself mentally about his subordinate's lack of stealth skills. He seemed lucky here, since non of the ninja here seemed to possess any explosive skills. Sasori easily remembered the case with Jirou, knowing well that such destructive power mixed with jutsu could easily wreak some havoc on his art.
"Katsu!"
BOOM
A flood of ash smoke engulfed him, sending the Akatsuki flying. The next thing he new, Hiruko was laid on its side, having thrown around the puppeteer inside for a bit of a ride. Growling, the redhead shifted his weight and tugged at the chakra threads, rolling the puppet back onto its legs.
Coughing sounds quickly caught his attention, immediately looking over to confirm that it was the cough of a child's and not that of a grown adult. Sasori froze momentarily, the sight of a tiny body on the floor causing his mind to blank. Luckily, the next few seconds yielded good news, as the child's body jerked in time with the coughs, quickly sitting up without struggle, a sign that the boy had gotten off virtually unharmed.
"Brat!"
Deidara shook his head, letting the dirt and ash fall off of his head before facing his mentor. Hiruko showed no changes in expression, though the child could practically sense that the puppeteer within was seething.
"It was mistake! I put too much chakra-"
"I know that! Ugh, now I know for sure you haven't learned chakra control at all." Sasori seemed to stumble over his words, groaning in exasperation. The puppet closed its eyes in an almost pained manner, taking a moment to control his anger. "If a fluke like that is possible, it's better if you didn't use them at all! You're young and inexperienced! Stupid explosions like that aren't worth killing yourself over!"
The boy cringed at the tone, eyes cast elsewhere as he tried not to take the words too harshly. Opening his mouth to reply, he didn't have time to speak as another shinobi appeared by his back, arms wide ready to grab the boy.
Clack...
Clack...
Clack...
Clack...
Another scream rung out as the man twitched and fell limp against Hiruko's tail. Deidara blinked, breath hitched as he look down at his own cheek, which had apparently had narrowly missed striking his own head. Deidara stiffened, watching as some blood trickled down his cheek.
Sasori also seemed to notice the wound that he had caused, however hesitantly deciding to ignore the cut. Immediately, he reared the tail backwards, raising it far over the child's head for safety. The blond seemed to shake, eyes still wide in shock. Raising a hand up to his cheek, Deidara rubbed the skin and brought it to view, confirming that he had bled, a bright red stain on his hands. Sasori anticipated that the boy would look up at him, quickly averting Hiruko's gaze. He didn't want to see that frightened face.
"Stick close and don't move around. I'll handle this."
Deidara's expression changed, turning into a face that alienated the puppeteer. A mix of confusion and slight dread came over the innocent expression, forcing back the fear to nod hesitantly.
Stepping close to the puppet, Sasori reminded himself briefly of the boy's size and overall mass. Making mental calculations, the redhead hoisted the tail upwards, watching the remaining ninja stagger to their feet, unprepared for the explosion that had sent them flying straight after the gust of wind.
The ninja raised their weapons again, quickly turning to the Akatsuki and charging in different directions, dispersing as to surround Hiruko again. Upon making a full arc, ninja on opposite sides threw their shuriken, hoping that the sheer number of weapons would overwhelm the enemy.
Deidara braced himself again, pressing his back against the side of the shell as lightning fast lashes whipped about the air, deflecting the weapons with ease.
"Fire style: Flame bomb."
The ninja skidded to a halt, chest rising before the ninja spewed out a blast of fire. Deidara felt the heat reach him, only vaguely aware as something stiff wrapped around his body, sending him into the air.
Sasori landed the puppet away from the fire, gently placing the boy down on the ground behind him, tail unwrapping around the child back into the usual scorpion arc.
The after math of the jutsu had placed a dark spot in the grass, a gigantic bonfire burnt up the tree behind it, smoke rising into the air. The two remaining Iwa nin faced him again, raising their weapons.
"This is getting annoying. Now it's my turn."
Smoke rose above what used to be the buildings meant for containment. Towering above rose a single massive snake, head reared into the sky. Orochimaru breathed in the ash-ridden air, a sense of freshness overtaking him. It had been a while since he had been able to let lose like this, especially when the Akatsuki's puppet was staring him down 24/7.
Fires rose above the buildings, the fallen corpses of the other snakes went out with the smoke, the white clouds mixing with the flames. Taking a gander of Iwagakure, the Akatsuki could really appreciate the scenery. With all the spiralling rock towers, shooting up from the lowly forests below, the stone had begun to reflect the light of the sunset.
"Hmm...I guess I'm finished for now." Orochimaru brought the scroll up to his view, smile growing wider at the sight of it. He hadn't planned to really take this jutsu, thinking that this mission would turn out like any other. However, with the little nuisance glued to Sasori, the snake was granted more freedom with the redhead's hands tied.
Yellow eyes spied a lone fire in the distance, spreading slowly throughout the forest.
Sasori inspected one of the bodies, looking over each feature to see if it was material-worthy. With a scowl of disappointment, the redhead fed the body to the flames, allowing the flesh to disappear at the mercy of the heat. Absolute trash here, nothing notable about each ninja and even the ones he took interest in were too torn to be salvageable.
"See? You should leave it to me next time. We haven't even started training." Sasori said, knowing that the boy stood behind him.
"Hn."
"Just stick close when situations like this one come up, and I'll protect you and get the mission done. I have no idea of what your capable of, so I can't trust you in battle yet."
"Hn."
Such short replies immediately annoyed the redhead, thinking up some sort of reprimand for not acknowledging his words better. Turning back to his subordinate, Sasori got ready to lecture the child, only to realize shortly the damage he had done.
Deidara stood, staring blankly at the fire. Upon notice that his mentor was looking directly at him, fear sprang into his eye, averting his gaze towards the grass. His cheek was cut, along with plenty of other places on his body, including the torso and legs. Deidara seemed to leak blood, cuts along his body let out entire streams of it. The fire had lit up the darkness, gentle glow shedding light on what the blond truly looked like. It was hard to see the details in the dark, and the blood seemed to mix with the shadows.
"What the? What happened to you?" Sasori asked breathlessly, eyes wide. The little boy didn't answer.
Without a thought, the Akatsuki lowered Hiruko's tail, flat surface faced towards the child in a sign that he did not wish to harm him. Surprisingly, Deidara didn't remain still, but eyed the blade of the tail warily, stepping back once the tail was within half a meter of his shoulder. Deidara seemed shameful, knowing well that the puppeteer wouldn't like seeing the result of his inaccuracies.
The reality donned on Sasori, tail rearing back as he realized who had cut the child like this. He almost didn't want think about it, the very possibility that his skills weren't as accurate as he'd like them to be. His entire life had been devoted to killing and precise cuts, and yet he had never experiencing needing to use these precise movements to protect something.
"No way...I didn't..."
Sasori suddenly felt he need to try his hand again, lowering Hiruko's tail slowly onto the boy. He tried to press the flat end against the boy's shoulder, pushing up the blood as to try and capture it. Instead, the blade faltered and pressed into the delicate skin, creating another cut that spilled with more red liquid. The tail snapped back, Sasori unable to completely comprehend his lack of control. His heart began to pulsate, watching in horror at the harm he had just caused.
Deidara immediately sensed the inner turmoil that the puppeteer was experiencing, keeping dead silent as he brought his hand up to his newly formed wound, applying some pressure as to stop the bleeding. He had grown used to pain after these past months, a single cut didn't scare him anymore.
The flame roared in the distance, fluctuating as the wind blew it towards Hiruko, though not quite close enough to burn him. Both stood for a moment, an explosion of white smoke appeared, revealing Sasori in his more honest form.
In attempt to wipe the look off of his master's face, Deidara forced on an innocent smile, straining to make eye contact with the redhead. Mustering up a happy voice, the blond attempted to lighten the mood.
"It's okay, danna! It doesn't hurt a lot...it's just a small cut...I mean..."
Deidara trailed off, watching his master's face fall from shock into a more calm expression, passing that to become more sullen. Sasori's eyes lidded, sauntering over to his subordinate before kneeling down to match the blond's height. Hovering a hand over the boy's shoulder, he wordlessly healed the wound, making sure to be as gentle as possible.
The seven-year old gulped, observing the blood fade and the wound close. Once finished, he looked up at his master, who kept his eyes averted, avoiding the child's gaze. One by one, he moved on to the next wound, keeping the process slow and steady.
"I'm sorry."
Deidara blinked in surprise, staring straight at the puppeteer. He made an enquiring sound, indicating that he wasn't sure of what the redhead had just told him.
"I'm sorry."
A/N: Short one this time, I planned on having a little something in this chapter but thought it better fit with the next chapter. Next chapter is the last one before the three year timeskip, so yeah.
I'm also currently working on another story at the moment called 'Akatsuki Mission: Infinity'. I've noticed that the Akatsuki usually don't get a good adventure themed Fanfiction often(they're usually romance as I've found) so I decided to do one! I made it so it could perhaps tie as similar to the Naruto Movies. It's a two-arc story that will involve every member of the Akatsuki and whole lot of fighting and action. The moral is generally about the idea of identity and what defines a person different from another individual. When it has a good foundation finished or it's complete, I'll post it!
Thanks to Anniegirl132 for being my Beta!
Nice to meet ya!