Chapter 121

"I can see blood over there." Neji points into the direction where he detects the red body fluid spilled on the sand. "It's a bit far off."

Shikamaru covers his face with both his hands, and breathes in deeply. "Let's go," he utters once he composed himself.

—oOo—

When Deidara flies alone and wears that mask...Temari has a hunch, he is going to use poison against Gaara. Watching Kankuro with his puppets has taught her enough about it.

When even Gaara tumbles to the ground, unmoving, she realizes just how deadly the poison is. She uses her obi as a bandana, fearing that the air on the ground is poisoned too. But the way the puppet picks up her child, not minding that the protection she gave Shikadai, the make shift mask from her torn obi just slips to the ground, that's when she becomes sure that the air below isn't poisoned.

The difference between down here and up there is...that Gaara's sand canopy formed a barrier protecting the ground from the explosions.

Temari then realizes that the poison needs something from the explosion to activate it. And it's simple really. The poison needs heat from the explosion to vaporize it and make it potent.

Whoever is behind the puppet developed the poison for Deidara to use.

Having fought Sasori years ago, Temari is familiar with the fact that Sasori used poison. It took her team and Shikamaru's team to bring down Sasori almost 4 years ago.

Temari recognizes that the puppet is not Sasori. And whoever is behind the puppet is better than him. An odorless and undetectable poison that can mimic death, as a weapon, it's truly horrifying….and coveted.

Temari still has her wind release in her arsenal but with no gigantic fan to intensify her wind jutsu, taking on two enemies at once with baby on tow is merely a death wish.

In this instance, her only choice is to throw the dice and hope her gamble pays off.

"You really have no option now but to either kill me or take me with you. And if you do kill me, I promise you, you would regret it!" rasps Temari.

Deidara marches back, intent on killing the argumentative, know-it-all kunoichi. He knows his partner who hates delays will appreciate it.

"Don't."

Just one word from the puppet and Deidara stops in his tracks.

"Let me just give my respect to Gaara before we leave," Temari utters. Not waiting for their approval as she retraces her steps. And when they simply allow her to do that...there is no doubt left in her mind that she has the upper hand now.

Motherhood is a tough job. A shinobi would rather willingly choose an S rank mission over volunteering to watch a tiny human being who can't speak yet or fend for himself. It's easier, after all, to kill a baby than make him thrive.

The puppet's willingness to deal with Temari rather than kill her shows that the puppet is familiar with child rearing. That or it believes all the things Temari just said about Shikadai being the worst, active baby.

Deidara just rolls his eyes still heeding the puppet's word, "Don't."

Deidara understands, the puppet did not spell it out but he knows it's telling him, 'Don't kill her. When she ceases being useful, I'll kill her myself.'

Temari then moves Gaara's body so he lies on his back, his gigantic gourd is then placed near his side.

As she says goodbye to Gaara's body, Temari grabs a fist of his special sand. It smells like rotting flesh and she knows it was because Gaara killed people using his sand that their blood mixed with the grains.

"I may like him now but that doesn't erase the past. It's disgusting...how he killed a lot of people," Temari says, copying Shikamaru's nonchalant attitude. She then blows the sand away with a swirl of wind using just her palm, ridding the place off its awful scent.

Deidara, and the puppet reflexively up their guard only to realize how weak the wind release is. They watch as the sudden blow of wind merely mixes Gaara's sand with normal sand and they scatter high in the air, improving the smell of the place. But neither looks on the ground as Temari writes using compressed air the symbol that of a very small triangle and an equally small X on it. It means the poison needs heat. She knows Shikamaru will figure the clue she is leaving on the sand but only if he finds it in time.

Deidara's black robe with the reddish embellishment that looks like cloud flaps with the sudden gust of wind. It looks quite new meanwhile that of the puppet's looks quite faded and sewn over in a lot of tat erred places.

Temari then walks towards her two Akatsuki captors.

—oOo—

"I admire your spunk. That's how it goes, you can only depend on yourself," the puppet says as it walks at least two meters sideways from Temari. Then it adds with a more scornful voice, "Don't rely on the help of your husband or that of the Leaf. It's sad having to depend on your village,"

Temari purses her lips but nods her head, cuddling her baby as she walks between her two captors. Deidara going ahead a bit as their pacing is slower.

"If I catch you betraying your word," the puppet continues, "I'll slit your throat immediately you won't have time to re-negotiate."

"I gave you my promise, I won't run away with Shikadai," says Temari. "I'm not stupid. If it's just me, I'll make a run for it in this harsh desert condition. However, with less than a year old baby, that depends solely on me...getting lost and going around in circles for days, with no water, and with the possibility of me dying, I won't risk it. If I die, my baby is good as dead."

"If you grow up in the Sand, you won't have that problem," the puppet utters.

Temari glances at the puppet Hiruko. Did it know that she should have grown up in Suna?

—oOo—

Temari has an idea that her two captors are either leaving numerous false tracks or no tracks at all.

With no weapons on her person to drop, every couple of meters, if she deems her captors are not looking, Temari scratches the burnt flesh on the back of her left hand with her fingernail. The pain sears up to her upper arm but it is worth seeing a measure of tiny drop of blood hit the sand. She's thankful that they are walking, her baby back in her arms providing a much needed cover. This way she is able to leave a trail that is small enough to be easily missed by her captors but big enough to be noticed by nins who are searching, combing the desert for them. If they are flying, leaving such a trail would have been futile.

Temari still walks between them with Deidara walking a bit ahead. And so far their captors don't suspect anything.

The puppet tends to look at her and Shikadai longer and more frequently but Temari is also watching the puppet and Deidara more closely. When they glance at her...Shikadai tends to cry. Temari will then kiss her baby, murmuring comforting words but knowing she will pinch him again if either Deidara or the puppet looks at them while she's re-cutting her wound for it to bleed again.

Then suddenly the puppet's tail approaches Temari. Hugging her baby closer to her chest, Temari starts to shake her head. "No."

"Give him to me," orders the puppet.

Temari has no choice but to give Shikadai to the puppet Hiruko. If she makes a run for it, Deidara can easily fly on his white owl and bring her back.

As Temari gently puts the baby on the awaiting scorpion like tail, Shikadai squirms, his baby gown just like what his uncle Gaara and father wear suddenly becomes untied and on his clothes underneath, she sees her blood from her injured hand being transferred on it. It's bright red color unmistakable that of fresh blood on Shikadai's inner clothes. She only drops a small amount of blood on the trail to avoid detection that is why Shikadai's cloth is much bloodier than expected.

Temari raises petrified eyes towards the puppet. She knows it...she has just been caught.

—oOo—

~10 25 20 P 12 13 20~

A/N: Hope you guys share what you think...