Chapter Four

'That's the last one.'

Nakiro glanced around the area, taking in all her surroundings before she began walking down the dirt street, trying to stay as inconspicuous as possible. She'd just finished planting the last of Deidara's bombs in the compound of the Adachi clan, the only thing left to do was meet Deidara so he could set off the bombs and they could escape the village to retrieve their earnings. She was rather surprised with the ease of her task, she hadn't encountered any problems since she'd entered the compound earlier that day. Being of the Hontaru clan though, most stealth missions were far easier for her than most shinobi, the kekkei genkai of her clan was quite the effective one to have on her side.

The kekkei genkai of her particular clan didn't have a special name like the Sharingan of the Uchiha clan or the Byakugan of the Hyuga. Instead of naming the ability, her clan had taken on a name for what the ability allowed them to do, they were Senshi, more commonly known as shapeshifters. They could take on the physical appearance of anyone but it didn't stop at just that, the Hontaru clan was capable of attaining that person's abilities once their form was changed.

The kekkei genkai was quite the advanced one, almost more so than the Uchiha Sharingan but it wasn't capable of attaining kekkei genkai known to a person of a specific clan. For instance, if a Hontaru took the form of a shinobi of Kirigakure, they would have access to all techniques known to that village. However, if a Hontaru took the form of a Hyuga, they would not obtain a working Byakugan. Being a Senshi was second nature to the Hontaru, as easy as breathing and took very little chakra once mastered. Nakiro had been shapeshifting with ease since before she'd entered the Academy as a child, she had been one of Konohagakure's top spies and agents before she'd left her home.

Before she'd entered the compound earlier that day, she'd managed to put one of the shinobi she'd seen in passing under a genjutsu and taken on his appearance, it was the smartest move for her to make and he wasn't in her way as she'd went about hiding all of Deidara's bombs in the area. Now all she'd need to do, was slip out of the compound unnoticed and find somewhere that she could take on her real form without being spotted by anyone. She was relieved that nothing had went wrong while she'd been carrying out her mission but she wouldn't jinx herself, she needed to get with the program and get out of there.

Nakiro quickened her pace slightly, nodding occasionally to the other shinobi she saw in passing and after a few minutes of walking, made it out of the compound without incident. She adjusted her bag on her shoulder as she walked down the street in the direction she knew the pub to be in, keeping an eye out for anyone that could be watching her. She tried to shrug off her paranoia as she walked, knowing most of it was a result of her being hunted for the past year, she wondered if she would ever manage to shake off the feeling once Orochimaru was taken out.

'I need to get it together and stop thinking about this stuff. He's waiting for me and I don't want to get left behind and end up taking the fall for this.'

Nakiro glanced around the road as she walked, there were less people out so she knew it must've been getting closer to nightfall, this was the perfect chance for her to change back into herself. The few people that were out were stall owners and workers, closing up their shops for the night and not giving her a glance, she was practically a ghost. She turned off into one of the abandoned alleyways at the thought, walking down it slowly as she focused her thoughts. She could go out on the other side and make her way to the pub from there, she wouldn't be noticed.

She inhaled slowly as she walked, her outward appearance slowly changing with each step. The green eyes she'd obtained, slowly began changing back to their ruby red color. The rough features of the manly face morphing back to a smooth porcelain tone, the extra weight melting off like it was never there, the five inches of height dropping. The short brunette hair slowly began changing back to the dark turquoise color, her bangs falling before her eyes as the rest of the hair grew, finally stopping around her hips in soft waves. She came to a halt when the tingling feeling in her body stopped and threw off the Yama uniform, tossing it in the dumpster in the alley. She quickly changed into a black top with elbow length sleeves and a pair of black leggings, her sandals on her feet.

She quickly exited the alley after readjusting her pack and head towards the pub, hoping that she would have time for a quick meal before her departure, she hadn't eaten anything since breakfast that day. She sighed in relief at the sight of the sign and stopped before the door, opening it and stepping inside. She quickly scanned the crowded room, a small blush setting on her cheeks when she caught sight of Deidara. She pushed the door shut and moved away from the entrance, walking in his direction, weaving in and out of people to make it to the table. She could feel her blush darken when his visible eye found her face, trying not to stumble over her own feet as she walked.

"Konban wa." Deidara greeted, his voice coming out more fluid than usual. Nakiro smiled a little and went to sit across from him, her cheeks going hotter when his gloved hand grabbed hers. "Sit by me hm." She nodded hesitantly and removed her bag from her shoulder with her free hand, taking the seat next to him, his hand still wrapped around hers. "I'm glad you got done early, I just ordered us some food hm." She tilted her head to the side curiously, a cocky smirk rose to his lips. "Nani? Didn't expect that hm?" She shook her head shyly, her heart speeding up when he squeezed her hand almost...lovingly. "I figured you'd be hungry and we won't get a chance to stop for maybe a day or two, I went ahead and got us a few small things to hold us over until we make it to a town hm." She felt another smile come to her lips at his thoughtfulness and nodded, trying to show her appreciation as best she could without use of her book.

"Here you go, two orders of tea." Nakiro looked up through her bangs as the waitress set some glasses before them, she could feel her stomach flip when the woman's eyes locked on their hands. "It shouldn't be too long on your order, I could get something small for you now if you'd like."

"Do you want something now Kiro-chan?" Deidara asked smoothly, a cocky smirk on his lips. She felt a shiver run up her spine at his tone and blushed darkly, shaking her head as she lowered her eyes.

"Alright, just wave me down if your girlfriend changes her mind."

Nakiro blinked dumbly, girlfriend? She glanced over at Deidara when he didn't correct the waitress before she walked off, that cocky smirk of his seemed to have gotten wider. Deidara chuckled quietly and moved his free hand to her face, his fingers hooking under her chin and tilting her face up. She swallowed the lump in her throat when her eyes locked with his visible one, her heart thumping in her chest as his fingers slid up along the curve of her jaw, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Nani hm?" he purred. "Embarrassed are we?"

She could feel her cheeks burning as she stared into that sky blue, trying her hardest to keep from trembling at the accusation, how did he manage to make her so nervous? Her breath was heavy in her chest, she could hardly breathe at the seduction on his face, he was so close. She could feel her legs begin to shake when he shifted closer, a sly grin on his lips as he hovered above her face, his fingers slipping through her hair.

"You're blushing hm." he observed, his hand squeezed hers gently. If her cheeks went hotter, she didn't notice. Her face was on fire at the look in his eye, her heart pounding in her chest, his fingers moved from her hair and trailed lightly down her back. "You know, I really enjoy your company hm. Even if you can't talk." She blinked curiously, not understanding what he meant and felt her heart skip when he stopped a few inches short of her lips. "We're being watched, don't move hm."

'Is it...them?'

Nakiro bit down on her lower lip, looking up through her lashes at the blonde. If it did happen to be followers of Orochimaru, she was screwed and not only her, but Deidara as well. She hadn't wanted to endanger his life but she had, now she didn't know if there was anything that she could do to save him from the Sannin's wrath. What could she do? She watched as Deidara leaned closer to her, his hand moving up and down her back as his lips stopped next to her ear.

"It's Iwa shinobi." he murmured, his nose was pressed against her hair. "They can't do anything here, just act naturally and once we get out of here, I'll take care of them hm."

Nakiro forced herself not to nod at his instruction, knowing fully well that she'd need to follow his lead and act oblivious to what was happening. As nervous as it made her to play along with being Deidara's girlfriend, she knew that it was the safest way for them to get out of the village, the Iwa shinobi very well wouldn't kill an innocent. She could feel her cheeks burning at the thought, looking up at Deidara through her bangs when he moved back from her slightly, their eyes locking once again.

'Just breathe, it's only an act.'

She swallowed nervously, trying to pull herself together and moved her free hand from her lap, hesitantly placing it on his arm, squeezing it gently. She watched as a smirk came to the blonde's lips, her face growing hotter when he moved his arm fully around her back, his other hand cupping her cheek after releasing hers. She absentmindedly leaned into his touch with closed eyes, a small smile came to her lips as his fingertips caressed her cheek, an inaudible sigh passing through her lips. It had been a long while since she'd been intimate with another person this way, even if it was just an act, her heart felt warm for the first time in years.

Her eyes flicked open at the thought, her heart skipping when she saw the gentle expression on his face. It was so different than the usual cocky look he carried, he was looking at her as though he actually cared about her. What was going through his head, maybe if she could see his both his eyes then she could figure it out. She blinked curiously at the idea and slowly moved her free hand to his face, brushing his bangs away from his hidden eye. Her smile widened slightly at the sight, she could see it, he was fond of her.

"Nani?" he murmured, sounding confused.

She could feel her cheeks burning but she needed this, she wanted to feel closer to him. She didn't think she could go her own way after their arrangement was complete, she didn't want to go off on her own again and be alone. She'd made a connection with someone for the first time since he'd left, she wasn't sure she had it in her to just toss that connection aside. Maybe this had been part of her destiny after all, meeting Deidara had been in the cards for her all along.

"Kiro."

Deidara's voice snapped her out of her thoughts, red meeting blue instantaneously. She felt her heart skipping at the intensity, moving her fingers across his cheek to his bangs before scooting forward and pressing her forehead against his, her nose brushing his slightly. She was surprised when his arm tightened around her, holding her closer but she didn't jump, his eyes told her that she was safe with him. The look on his face was genuine, completely different than his usual overconfident look, it made her soul feel good knowing that he trusted her enough to open himself up to her in that way. She felt another smile come to her lips at the thought, her eyes never leaving his as his thumb ran across her cheek.

"You know hm." he started, a sly smirk coming to his lips. "I could kiss you right now and there's not a thing you could do to stop me." She felt her cheeks go warm again, blushing darker when he leaned closer, stopping a few centimeters short of her lips. "Do you want me to hm?" he murmured. She felt her pulse quicken at the sound of his voice, did she want him to kiss her?

"I apologize for the delay." Nakiro's eyes widened in surprise and she moved out of Deidara's touch, hiding behind her hair as best she could as the waitress set their order on the table.

"No problem at all hm." Deidara chuckled, not seeming phased in the least by the interruption. Nakiro glanced up through her bangs, watching the woman walk off and turned her head in Deidara's direction, taking the chopsticks he offered her. "Eat up love, we need to head out soon." She nodded shyly and turned her attention to the plate of food, her thoughts circling around what had almost happened as they ate in silence.

'Did I want him to kiss me? No, there's no way. I just...I've been alone too long, my brain doesn't know what it wants. That has to be it, it's not like I'm falling in love with him or anything.'

She repeated the thoughts to herself over and over, trying to convince herself of them but try as she might, she wasn't sure that she truly felt that way. There was just something about him that made her feel so at ease and a nervous wreck at the same time, but what was it? Could it be that she was fond of him too? Her head snapped to Deidara when he placed a hand on her knee, his visible eye on her.

"Let's head out Nakiro hm."

She nodded in agreement and rose from her seat, swinging her pack onto her shoulders while Deidara got his own bag in order, tossing some money onto the table for their meal. Another blush spread across her cheeks when he took her hand in his, entwining their fingers as he urged her to follow him. Without thinking, she took hold of his arm and scooted next to him, following beside him as they made their way to the exit side by side. She pressed her cheek to his shoulder as the exited the pub, walking down the road towards the exit of the village.

She blinked curiously when Deidara raised his free hand to his face and bit down on the material of his glove, managing to pull it off his hand and watched as he shoved it into his bag. His hand immediately went into the pouch on his side, she could sense how on edge he was, were the Iwa shinobi on their tail? She squeezed his arm, trying to earn his attention, she needed to know what he wanted her to do. He turned his head slightly, his visible eye found her face instantly.

"Nani?" he questioned, sounding completely relaxed. She tugged his arm once, trying her hardest to ask him with her eyes if he needed her help. A wide grin stretched across his lips and he shook his head, seeming amused. "I'm fine hm. I want you to keep yourself out of harm's way, I can handle this."

She nodded hesitantly, not completely convinced but didn't press it any further. She'd make sure she was prepared for what could happen, they'd just exited Yamagakure and she was positive they wouldn't manage to get too far before the Iwa shinobi showed themselves. She took a slow breath, mentally preparing herself for a heated battle as they walked the road towards the forest. She didn't want to have to do this but she wasn't ready to die just yet, she still had goals to accomplish and nothing was going to stand in her way. Orochimaru would pay.

"Get ready."

She blinked at the soft instruction, watching curiously as small spiders began scurrying from Deidara's palm, making their way in different directions. Her eyes cast down to the road in thought as she tried to piece together how Deidara's bombing technique worked, it finally clicked after a minute.

'He's going to blow them up with those things.'

Not even a second later, multiple bangs rang out in the area, smoke and dust filling the air. She scrunched up her nose at the stench of the smoke, matching Deidara's pace as they made it into the forest. She could sense how much more relaxed he was, were all of those shinobi taken care of that easily? She focused, trying to sense any chakra that was nearby, quickly realizing that they weren't being followed, Deidara really had disposed of all those shinobi.

'His jutsu is so powerful, no wonder he didn't need my help.'

She felt her spirit drop at the thought, bowing her head as she walked next to him. She didn't understand why he'd needed her help to begin with, especially if he was so powerful with an advanced technique like his own, he'd easily dispatched shinobi equivalent to Jounin without breaking a sweat. Why would he want to keep her around when he actually didn't even need the help? She grew more worried the harder she thought about it, what if he wanted to go his own way without her?

"Love." Her eyes moved from the ground, red meeting blue. "Are you ready to see what we accomplished together hm?"

She nodded hesitantly, not understanding what he meant and watched as he gestured towards a tree. Nakiro focused her chakra and jumped up in time with the blonde into a tree, hopping higher up until they'd reached the top. Deidara released her hand, turning his attention towards Yamagakure, his visible eye shining with excitement. She watched him curiously, holding onto her arm subconsciously, a soft wind moving through the air. She felt a smile come to her lips when Deidara looked back at her over his shoulder, a cocky smirk on his lips.

"Can I ask you something hm?" he asked, she nodded. "Would you be completely against the idea of working together hm?" She felt her smile widen and shook her head, feeling relieved that he wanted the same thing that she desired. "If I'm being honest, I like being around you hm. I think we make a good team."

She nodded her agreement, pink running across her cheeks at his words, watching as the smirk on his lips grew. She bit down on her lower lip and moved away from the trunk of the tree, taking a spot next to him and turned her attention to the village, the wind moving softly through her hair.

"Then we're partners hm." he commented.

'Partners?'

"Behold, the true meaning behind art." She glanced over to see his ungloved hand raised into a sign, quickly looking back towards the village, here it came. "Katsu."

Her eyes widened when ten loud explosions rang out in the night air, smoke rising towards the heavens, lighting up Yamagakure in the dark night, fires appearing inside the walls. She felt a heavy breath leave her lungs, realizing that she hadn't even begun to witness the true power behind the blonde bomber's art. However, she guessed that she'd be getting the full experience one day, especially since it looked as though they would be stuck with each other for a while. A brief smile came to her lips at the thought, her heart warming with the idea of not being alone any longer, all thanks to him. She turned her eyes to Deidara when he took her hand in his, squeezing her hand once.

"Let's go get our earnings Kiro-chan."

'Partners huh.'

Author's Note: Chapter Four is finally complete! I hope you all enjoyed it, even if it was a little slower than I wanted. The next chapter features a flashback so I really hope everyone's looking forward to that!