Author's Note: I never really expected to continue any of my fanfictions but here I am, back from the dead! It's been tough 4 years since my last update. Long story short, I'm in med school now and things have been really difficult. :') I have completely forgotten about my love for writing so now that I can gradually do so on my phone, I will try to finish this story because it's very dear to my heart. :'') I don't know if the followers even remember this story or whether they are still alive themselves, so I'm really sorry that I kept y'all hanging for 4 years :((( If you are still alive and have read this entry, please drop down a review for me to know that this story is not completely hopeless. :') I don't promise any quality writing though; it's been years since I've last written and I write in breaks and bus rides and I don't have the time to proofread that well. So do not expect too much from me as I forgot how to fanfic and there will most likely be lotsa typos lol.
On another note, as a poor attempt of compensating for my inactivity, the long-awaited chapter is here and it's pretty eventful! It took me a while because I've forgotten the sequence of events I originally planned and figuring out fighting scenes is pretty difficult for me. Although it was way too long of a chapter than what I have expected, I refused to submit something without reaching the ending I had in mind for this chapter, so I hope you enjoy it! It's the longest one so far. :')
I wanna take another moment to thank all of those who have reviewed/followed/favorited the story. I love y'all so much and your support is legit what kept me going!
Enjoy the juicy chapter!
Far Beyond The Truth
Chapter 16
The sound of metal hitting the floor reverberated as the young medic took hesitant steps backwards not believing what she was about to do. How could she give up non-maleficence, one of the most important principles she had always followed as a physician? She looked down at her trembling hands, swallowing the lump of saliva that had formed in her mouth. No matter how much logic begged her to carry her plan, to ridden the world from one of the most wanted criminals—despite what reason was insisting in her mind she would still never bring herself to murder someone. Especially not stabbing him in the back; literally. This was why vengeance was never something she was ever interested in or even considered.
She hastily picked the knife off the floor, making her way out of the room immediately. Little did she know underneath the bed cover, the blond had his index and middle finger up in his signature hand seal, his lips pulled together in a wide smirk.
How unfortunate, un.
He said releasing his fingers.
Ino woke up the next day feeling very exhausted. The previous day's training had been too much for her current self to handle even though she was almost sure it was nothing the real Ino would ever sweat for. It was worth it though, she realized. The practice was basic, but it was enough to keep her alive in the case they ran into trouble again. At that thought Ino let out a big smile, stretching her arms. It was a warm day, the sun was out, and her clothes should have dried by now. It was silly she thought, being excited over wearing her clothes again. It might had to do with Deidara's compliment. Just a little.
I mean… If he actually bothered to say something nice about it then I have to have looked nice in them…
What did she know? Maybe purple was indeed her color. And maybe she did like the artist a bit more after yesterday's training. Just a little.
Finally feeling comfortable in her own attire and taking in the aroma of the laundry detergent (she was again easily able to identify the lemon, bergamot, lavender and rosemary components of the soap), the kunoichi grabbed the list of herbs she needed to pick up for the day and headed to the garden, humming along the birds chirping outside. She had only confused two herbs up until now so she was pretty satisfied with her work. Slowly, but surely, she was regaining her memory back.
By the time Ino left to do her chores, Deidara was already up stretching his body. He was feeling much better that morning and remaining in the clinic was no longer necessary, not that he was planning to stay any longer anyway. He decided to take a shower, while he still can, before preparing himself to leave.
"Oh my god, what happened to you Onori-san—" Meiko asked frowning as soon as she saw the man entering her clinic. He was panting and holding his left shoulder that was bleeding quite badly. The girl scanned the man quickly with her worried eyes, pointing at a couch. "Over here—" She helped him walk towards it, immediately starting to rummage in drawers right after he sat down.
"It was a really tough mission—" The shinobi said, sighing in exasperation. His usual straight short hair was messy and his clothes were torn. There was no doubt he was having a rough time during the fight. Meiko began her work as soon as she gathered her equipment, his wincing did not stop her one bit.
"Those damned Akatsuki—always causing us trouble." the man hissed in anger, cut short by another wave of burning pain coming from the antiseptic the young medic was using. Upon hearing those words the girl tensed, keeping her eyes fixed on the shinobi's injury.
"Y-yeah—" was all what Meiko was able to say, the weight of Deidara's presence in the other room suddenly crashing on her. It only occurred to her now the gravity of the situation she was currently in. She was sheltering a criminal. An S-rank criminal. A criminal that was targeted by the entire shinobi world. If people found out she was helping that blond who knew what would happen to her. "T-try not to think about this Onori-san. Focus on healing..." She flashed a nervous smile. Had the man not been in such agonizing pain he might have noticed something was not right.
The amount of times the girl had looked back towards Deidara's room throughout those 10 minutes of work was quite ridiculous, and even she could not deny this. She cursed under her breath and rolled the bandages around the man's torso even faster, but even he could not miss the urgency at this point.
"Ya got someone else in there?" Onori asked, looking at the direction of that room. Although Meiko was used to working under pressure, this kind of setting was foreign to her. All her humanitarian accomplishments up until now were being put on the line after all.
"Yeah. He's a traveler. Not from here." She somehow managed to answer. Maybe she could warn this shinobi. He should surely know what to do right?
"I see, you're too good for this world." He said chuckling, ruffling her dark locks with his other hand. After what seemed like eternity, the medic was finally done. She left the man to his comfort privately shooing him in her mind. Onori stood up and moved his shoulders around, wincing at the slight pain. "Thanks, Meiko-chan."
Finally, he's leaving—
The girl shook her head, smiling. "No worries! Come back in 3 days!"
Why was she not telling him anything about the Akatsuki member?
"Sure thing. Jaa—" He saluted her and turned around to leave, almost bumping into Ino who was entering the house with a bunch of herbs and flowers between her arms.
"Oh, excuse me—" Ino bowed and apologized, making space for the guy to pass through. "I'll leave them on the table Otonashi-san." The kunoichi smiled, setting the bundle down. The shinobi of Tanigakure noticed the hitai-ate the Yamanaka wore around her waist, so he could not help but ask.
"What's a kunoichi from Konohagakure doing here?" Onori asked, and Meiko mentally face-palmed herself at this unexpected turn of events. He was supposed to be leaving. He was so close to leaving.
Ino paused and turned to the guy, confusion clearly written all over her face.
"How did you—?"
Sensing the girl's puzzlement, Onori raised an eyebrow and pointed at the obvious headband Ino had on her skirt. Following his gaze, the Yamanaka looked down at the headband around her waist. Up until now she didn't think much of it but a decoration on her outfit. But was that a symbol of her village somehow? Before Ino could say anything, she was rudely interrupted by a loud masculine voice calling her name.
"Oi Yamanaka— can I have my shirt back?" A shirtless, bandaged Deidara came out of the room, grumpily rubbing the back of his neck. Seeing the blond, Meiko let out a soft gasp and immediately turned to the shinobi who seemed to stare at the artist with doubt and reluctance. It took him very few seconds to realize Deidara's identity and at that, his eyes widened, taking a couple of steps backwards reaching for the pouch on his back.
"Y-you— what are you—"
Deidara needed one moment for him to understand the situation he was currently in and his bored expression was quickly replaced by a wicked one. Noticing what the shinobi was about to do, the Akatsuki member shoved his left hand in the pouch hung on his hip and sprung backwards, flipping a table on his way to hide behind it. The surface of the table made a good shield against the shurikens the man had thrown towards him.
"You're asking for it, un!" The blond shouted in amusement, taking his hand out of the pouch and holding his fingers up in a hand seal. After spending the last couple of days bedridden, he was way too excited about starting a combat. His eagerness did not go unnoticed by the medic so she jumped in the middle of the fighting ninjas, throwing her arms open wide.
"Stop it! Both of you!" The young girl screamed, terrified that things would escalate pretty rapidly. It was not that she was concerned about Deidara, for he most likely had the upper hand being an S-class criminal. It was Onori she was mostly worried about. She did not want either of them to die. The missing nin saw the girl just in time to hold a detonation, cursing under his breath.
"Move over Meiko-chan it's dangerous! That man is an Aka—" Before Onori had the chance to continue, a big centipede came out of where Deidara was hiding and wrapped itself around the young medic, trapping her securely. The girl cried in pain as the clay insect squeezed her tightly, forcing her to fall on her knees.
"Hands where I can see them if you value this girl's life, un!" Deidara demanded, almost hearing the smirk in his voice. Upon grasping the gravity of the situation, Ino gasped, taking a couple of steps towards the blond.
"Dei— that's—"
Deidara waved with his hand shutting the girl up. With every step he took closer to his hostage, the shinobi of Tani tensed even more, not daring to do anything that could drive the Akatsuki to detonate the girl. He held his trembling hands up in the air, his eyes following the artist. His arm injury was not making it any better either.
"Good boy, un." The artist uttered enjoying himself. "I'll keep the kid in one piece if you let us leave without trying anything funny, un." He stood behind the girl, teasingly ruffling her hair while keeping his wicked eyes fixated on the shinobi in front of him. He leaned in and whispered something in Meiko's ear before he walked towards Ino and lifted her on his shoulder, leaving the medic surprised.
"W-woah— what are you—" The kunoichi mumbled taken by surprise. She did not object though. Her eyes flicked up at the poor girl held hostage and mouthed a "I'm so sorry." She did not have enough time to say anything else for when Deidara jumped outside the window, they both disappeared in a big cloud of pure white smoke. The centipede entrapping the medic soon followed suit, and Meiko was finally released.
"Meiko-chan are you okay?!" Onori rushed to check on the girl who seemed to be confused still. To his shock, she stood up and ran to the window looking for the blond only to see him flying on some sort of huge white bird, his index and middle finger next to his forehead in a salute.
"Don't worry Meiko-chan. I'll call for reinforcement and make sure that bastard is nowhere near you ever again." The man assured the petite, gently patting her head. "You gotta be more careful from now on understood?"
Meiko lightly nodded, still distracted in her own thoughts. What Deidara had last told her could not leave her mind.
"Thank you and take care, un."
"AAHH I'M FALLING! I'M FALLING! DEI I'M FALLING!"
There was not a single person on earth who had not yet heard the screams of Ino Yamanaka.
The poor girl was tightly holding onto the clay bird –and dear life— with both of her arms and legs as it flew thousands of feet high over the River country. Deidara rolled his eyes.
"Don't call me Dei. And use your chakra to stand on the bird just like how I showed you, un! Just like how you use it on your hands to heal!" The blond Akatsuki sighed and rubbed his forehead. Ino was desperately trying to steady herself, hoping to all the gods out there not to fall to her doom. Not after surviving all of this.
She gradually tried to sit up but the wind blowing through her hair and clothes were too much for her unstable self to handle, so she shook her head frustrated. "I-I can't—"
"Of course you can, un. Take my hand." Deidara offered, surprisingly serious. The Yamanaka looked up at the blond confidently standing on the bird and, with shaky hands, took hold of his, starting to stand up.
"Yeah, there you go, un. Focus your chakra on your feet."
The female blonde hesitantly nodded and closed her eyes, trying to do as instructed while holding onto the artist tightly. It worked –for a short period of time— and Ino let go of the boy, laughing excitedly.
"I did it I did it! I—w-woaaaaah—!" Her feet immediately broke loose and before she knew it, the florist was off the bird, making her way back to land not so gracefully.
"DEEEEEEII—" Ino screamed at the top of her lungs and closed her eyes shut with both hands, waiting for the collision. Deidara only laughed, diving with the bird downwards.
Thump
It took the Yamanaka few moments for her to realize that it was not the ground she had landed on and after opening her eyes and coming face to face with the smirking blond who was carrying her, she wrapped her arms around his neck tightly, hiding her face in his chest. It took the blond off-guard and as entertaining as it was for him, he understood that it was quite serious for the girl was heavily panting against his skin.
"You okay?" Deidara asked holding the girl even tighter against him. He noticed she was slightly shivering. The last 10 seconds had scared her more than anything she had been through the last few days.
Ino hesitantly nodded. "Y-yeah—"
She looked up at the blond and opened her mouth to say something when her eyes wandered to the scenery behind them. At that, they widened exponentially, accompanied by a soft gasp.
"Dei—?! It's so beautiful!" The blonde exclaimed, all signs of fear disappearing from her face. A big smile lifted her lips as she contemplated the panoramic view, suddenly enjoying the wind through her pale blond locks.
"Why did we walk all those hours and not travel like this before?!" The kunoichi complained, huffing. Deidara only raised an eyebrow and turned to face her. He needn't to speak to deliver his message of "really now?"
Unexpectedly even to himself, the boy broke into laughter, unconsciously pulling the girl even tighter against him. It only occurred to the girl now how close the two were, so she could not help but to break the stare blushing slightly.
"Glad you're enjoying it then, un." The terrorist bomber grinned, taking notice of the sudden tension crawling on the girl. When Ino turned back to look at him again, they locked eyes for longer than what either of them had imagined. Wind blew through their blond locks mixing them together as the strangely-comfortable silence kicked in. Due to the unexpected agitation of the bird, the girl fell even closer to the boy. Too close. Closing-the-distance-between-them kind of close. Having-their-lips-touch close.
This little incident happened so fast that both teens were initially in denial. After the realization had hit the blonds, Ino's cheeks heated up whereas Deidara was in too much shock that he dropped the girl, unsure what to say.
"Ow—" The kunoichi muttered as she fell on her butt. Her cheeks were still flushed when she immediately took hold of the bird not intending on falling off for the second round. "Will my butt always end up hitting the ground whenever you carry me?!" Ino huffed trying to distract herself. As her back was facing the artist, she secretly touched her lips with her fingers, failing at containing the blush.
"Well excuse me I didn't know you wanted to kiss me that badly, un." The artist exhaled, overplaying the awkwardness. The Yamanaka almost choked at what he had said, turning around to face him again.
"Y-you know that's not true! It was you who got us on this stupid bird to begin with! Which reminds me—" At that point it had got amusing to the Akatsuki member for Ino was just admiring the ride few minutes ago. "—how dare you treat Otonashi-san as a hostage and threaten her like that? After everything she's done for you!"
Ino was still surprised how the blond was this cruel to the one who saved his life. Even if he was not on good terms with the shinobis of that village, it did not give him any right to use her like that. It made her even angrier that Deidara laughed at what she had just said.
"Do you even know what you're saying? I could've easily blown them up if I wanted to, un."
The florist adjusted her position, still confused. "What do you mean?"
Deidara sighed and shifted his weight, crossing his arms.
"What, you think they wouldn't have suspected her of treason? She helped someone they consider an enemy. Being 'friendly' would've surely caused her trouble un." The blond shrugged suddenly not so serious anymore. It left Ino speechless to see Deidara had actually thought that far. He was not as inconsiderate as he wanted to make himself seem to be. In fact, his mindfulness was very impressive, and he had an interesting way of showing it.
The Yamanaka was brought back to reality when the bird agitated again, this time recognizing that it was in fact flying down. It took the clay animal a couple of minutes for it to land on the ground, and just like how it came, it disappeared in a cloud of smoke the moment the ninjas jumped off it. The breeze was turning somewhat chilly as the sun was beginning to set.
"Considering you can't even uphold yourself on that thing, we'll just walk the rest of the way to Konoha, un. It shouldn't be that far anymore."
Ino could almost hear the mockery in the tone of his voice but she could not blame him. She was sure she would have got the hang of it if they had tried a couple more times but since they did not have the luxury of time, she disregarded it. Maybe when everything was over, she could meet up with him again and enjoy the rides after gaining back her perfect chakra control. It would make a very romantic date she ponders, feeling the heat rising back to her cheeks at recalling the kiss. Even though it was only lip-touching, she could not help but get shy all over again. She was thankful the blond was few steps ahead of her.
Feeling butterflies in her stomach, she shook her head and took a deep breath, catching up with him.
"Dei—" The kunoichi started, walking beside the Akatsuki. Before the boy had the chance to object on the name, the girl continued. "I'm sorry I snapped at you earlier. Regardless of what you say, you're a really good friend and I'm glad it was you that I ran into." She wrapped her arm around his and leaned on his shoulder. It was quite risky to get that close, Ino mused, but it was definitely worth the risk. She did not want to lose this friendship once she arrived home and if anything, she was hoping that maybe they could try dating. They had been through too much together to just abandon the memories they shared.
Deidara slowed his pace and remained quiet, not really knowing what to say. He did not push her away, surprisingly enough. In fact, this little gesture the Yamanaka had pulled felt kind of warm, as much as he tried to deny it (or blame the fact that he had no shirt on). Whether he liked it or not, this clueless kunoichi of Konoha had grown on him and it was too late for him to reconsider.
Maybe he could just drop his plan? But what difference would it make? As soon as the Yamanaka regained her memory she would no longer treat him the same. Everything was built on deception after all. He must have been thinking really hard about this for Ino had noticed the change in his face expression despite the darkness roaming the area, so she dropped her arm and cleared her throat.
"A-ano...Dei-kun..." The softness in the kunoichi's words, as well as the honorific she used after his name, took the artist completely off-guard. He stopped in his track immediately and looked back at her, giving her his full attention. Ino took another deep breath and held his hands, avoiding his eyes.
"D-do you think that...once this entire mess is over...m-maybe we could—"
Sensing where that statement was leading to, the Akatsuki member pulled his hands away and took a step back, shaking his head.
"Yamanaka, I don't think—" The man suddenly paused, as if an alarm had rung in his mind. Ino blinked as she watched him narrow his eyes and shove a hand in his clay pouch, scrutinizing the area.
"Dei, what's wrong—?" The Yamanaka followed his gaze and looked back behind her, finding nothing. When she turned around to ask the blond, she was shocked to see he was no longer there, and Ino was left to be engulfed in darkness alone.
"Dei—? Deidara—?" She called for the Akatsuki again as she took few steps forward, looking for him. Panic was slowly starting to build in her but she was sure Deidara would not just ditch her and run away like that.
Huh?
At that moment, something very strange happened to the girl. She was pulling her body to walk but her legs would not budge. Nor her arms. Nor her head. It was as if she was frozen in her own body.
What in the world—?
"Ino...?" A strange yet familiar voice questioned, forcing the girl to flick her eyes up towards the figure emerging from the bushes ahead of her. He was holding both of his hands together in what Ino guessed was a hand seal, and as the moonlight reflected on the man's face, the Yamanaka immediately recognized the stranger with the spiky hair held back in a ponytail.
"Sh-Shi...kamaru..." The blonde mumbled to herself, not believing her eyes. Ino's acknowledgment was enough for the Nara to release his jutsu, immediately running towards her.
"Ino are you okay?! Are you hurt anywhere?" The man inquired checking her everywhere. Ino hesitantly shook her head, still confused about the entire thing. It took her few moments to digest the presence of her teammate and at that she let out a wide smile, hugging the boy.
"Sh-Shikamaru..." The kunoichi whispered in his embrace, unable to contain her relief. He came to save her just as she had always wished. There was no doubt she was going home now.
"Yeah...I'm here Ino." Shikamaru mumbled, smiling widely himself and hugging her tightly. When they pulled away, he brushed her hair off her face, noting that tears were running down the girl's cheeks.
"what's wrong...? Did something happen?" the boy asked wiping her tears. Ino shook her head, rubbing her eyes.
"I...can't remember...a lot of things..." She sniffed looking into Shikamaru's eyes. She was worried he would think she turned crazy. "I'm slowly regaining back some memories but...Shikamaru...it was so scary—"
The Yamanaka finally allowed herself to break down. She was holding in too much fear and stress that she could not express in front of the strangers the last few days but from the memories she had recalled, she knew the bond she shared with Shikamaru was unbreakable. She could count on him. She could trust him. They were one team. Shikamaru on the other hand was still puzzled, not following the girl's line of thought. Nevertheless he gently patted the kunoichi's hair, trying to calm her down.
"Don't worry. I'm pretty sure Tsunade-sama will know what to do." He smiled encouragingly, straightening up. "Now come on, we need to get back to Konoha as soon as possible."
The blonde nodded following the boy when suddenly something clicked, stopping her in her track.
"Wait, Deidara—" Ino mumbled looking back. The artist was still nowhere to be seen and she had to see him before she left. If not to invite him over, to at least thank him. He did save her on multiple occasions after all. That name however did not reach pleased ears and as soon as they picked it up, the shinobi turned around, frowning.
"Huh? Is that Akatsuki somewhere nearby?!" The Konoha ninja looked around getting into a fighting stance. Ino only stared at him confused, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"No...Deidara...is my friend. He was escorting me back home—"
Shikamaru must have confused him with someone else. There was no way Deidara could be part of that infamous organization she had read about in that Bingo book. Criminals were not particularly nice.
"Ino—" Shikamaru uttered, his eyes scanning their surroundings. Temari had reported seeing his teammate with that S-rank criminal. It could not be a coincidence. "...that man— was he blond, blue eyes, weird mouths on his palms—?"
"How did you—" Ino was speechless, staring at the back of her teammate. Shikamaru turned to her with a troubled expression on his face, causing her to tense even more.
"Ino, that man is the Akatsuki member we clashed with few days ago before we got separated. He's a criminal. A very dangerous one that is." He did not like where this was heading. Was Ino accompanying that bastard all this time? Why did he bring her along? What did he want her to do? Could he be the reason behind her struggling to remember things?
"N-no— that can't be—" Ino shook her head, refuting the idea from her mind. "… Deidara can't be a criminal. He saved me, Shikamaru—" The blonde justified, the events both blonds had shared flashing through her mind. It did not make any sense. Why would he risk his life saving her if he was a criminal? Or even train her at all? She doubted she could be of any use to him.
More flashbacks passed through her eyes and as she could not handle the terrible headache accompanying them, Ino fell on her knees, clutching the sides of her head tightly.
"Ino..." Shikamaru muttered crouching down facing her. He watched as the girl grunted in pain and shook her head in denial. As much as he needed more information about the Akatsuki bomber, The Yamanaka's well-being was his out-most priority. He held her shoulders and looked at her in the eyes, trying to return some sense into the girl.
"Ino, try to focus. You are Ino Yamanaka. A chunin from Konohagakure. Choji and I, Shikamaru, are your teammates and Asuma Sarutobi was our sensei. He was ruthlessly killed by an Akatsuki." The memories were flowing through the girl like a tape played on fast-forward. The pain seemed to turn more severe as the boy continued to talk. "...We were sent last week to investigate on them when Deidara, the Akatsuki presumed dead, discovered us and bombed the place. That's when we got separated. Can you recall any of this?"
The kunoichi's memories of her past as well as the present began to jumble in her mind; one moment she could see herself fighting with her teammates, then another of her walking alongside Deidara. Random scenes of the latest confrontation they had with the Akatsuki finally play, and Ino could not resist collapsing on the ground, unconscious.
"Ino?!" The Nara called leaning down to listen to the girl's heart and check her breathing. When he confirmed the girl was still alive, he lifted her up between his arms and stood up, catching a glimpse of a bird heading towards them just in time to jump away. As the force of detonation was too strong, Shikamaru and his teammate were still sent flying few feet ahead.
It's too late... Shikamaru coughed propping himself up and looking for his friend. He attempted to lift her up again as soon as he spotted her, but another clay bird appeared speeding towards them.
Shimatta—!
"HHOAAA—!" A loud scream was heard before a harsh whirl of wind diverted the trajectory of the explosive bird, causing it to detonate further away. Shikamaru closed his eyes shut at the impact then opened them again, recognizing the woman in purple standing before him. Two other birds headed their way, but the woman was easily able to deflect their attack with her giant iron fan.
"What a pleasure to finally meet you, Deidara." Temari spoke, confidently standing in front of her comrades. She held her fan open beside her, safeguarding both chunins from any further bombing attempts. They had previously agreed the sand kunoichi would stay as backup, but both Temari and Shikamaru knew that she will most likely have to intervene.
It took Deidara a moment to jump down from his hiding, a wide smirk plastered on his face.
"Have we met before, un?" The blond asked crossing his arms. He was impressed by the girl's ability to deflect his birds, so he guessed she would be quite skilled at long-range combat.
"Oh not through direct confrontation. But I've been dying to kick your ass ever since that little game you pulled on my brother. Your pea brain surely remembers him, right? The Kazekage?" Temari shifted her weight, keeping a solemn face. Deidara only wickedly laughed, shoving both hands in the pouches on his waist.
Oh no you won't! Shikamaru was quick to do his hand seals.
"Ninpō: Shadow Stitching Jutsu!"
The shadow stretching underneath the Nara accelerated towards the Akatsuki member then ramified, sending sharp needles after the blond. Deidara grinned and skillfully jumped between the shadow blades, successfully dodging them. When he tried throwing bombs at the shadow manipulator, the shadow spikes pierced through them, detonating them away from Shikamaru and Ino.
"You're mine!" Temari shouted coming up at his back, but the terrorist bomber was quick enough to throw a clay spider behind him, forming the seal with his other hand.
"Katsu!" was followed by a loud explosion, engulfing the area in smoke.
The bomb succeeded in distancing the artist from the sand kunoichi and the boy landed on a farther tree branch, away from the shinobis. Realizing that throwing bombs was futile against the wind release user, Deidara slammed his palms together in a hand seal then extended them away, the liquid clay flowing from the mouths on his hands forming disfigured clay creatures.
"This will keep you busy for a while, un." The S-rank missing nin smirked, watching as his clay dolls ran towards his two opponents. Temari tried dodging the figures but as they split into multiple creatures, she was forced to attack. She swung her fan in an attempt to push them away however unfortunately, her fan was caught in the clay, restricting the girl's defense.
On the other hand, Shikamaru was also trying to fight the dolls before they reached him and the unconscious Ino but to no avail. Whenever he pierced through the figures with his shadows, the dolls would multiply, charging towards him.
"Shikamaru!" Temari called in the middle of her fight, her foot almost caught in clay. "Take Ino and run away! I'll deal with this!"
Shikamaru raised an eyebrow, shaking his head. "No way! I'm not leaving you alone!"
"Just go. I'll follow after!"
Shikamaru wanted to object but he knew it was something he had to do. Having Ino unconscious was too much of a burden for them to keep up with fighting no other than an Akatsuki member. He hesitantly nodded and held his hands together in a seal, muttering: "Ninpō: Shadow Possession Jutsu."
Shikamaru's shadow merged with Ino's and, taking one final glance at the sand kunoichi, he sprung away from the battle, Ino's body following alongside him. Noting that the leaf ninja was escaping with Ino, Deidara grinned and jumped high enough in the air, landing on his bird. If his plan of capturing the Jinchuriki had failed miserably, he would at least take Yamanaka back with him. He could use her as bait, after all.
This is bad... Shikamaru thought jumping from one tree to another, Ino following suit. Maintaining his shadow bind technique was becoming more difficult as he was reaching his limit of 5 minutes. He could see the Akatsuki member pursuing him in the distant sky.
The leaf shinobi jumped further into the forest, obliging the missing nin to dive downwards. He waited until the Akatsuki plunged low enough to cast a shadow on the ground and once it had happened, Shikamaru jumped down and released his binding technique with Ino, performing another set of hand seals. "Ninpō: Shadow Stitching Jutsu."
Shikamaru's shadow joined with that of the bird's, sending several sharp needles at even higher range. They successfully pierced into the bird and into Deidara himself, sewing them stuck with the shadow threads.
"K-kono yarou—" The bomber muttered through gritted teeth, his entire body immobilized with the spikes piercing through him.
As Shikamaru was running low on time and chakra, another shadow imitation technique was out of the question.
"Ninpō: Shadow-Neck Binding Jutsu." The Nara mumbled narrowing his eyes in concentration. The shadow extended along the Akatsuki's body and upon reaching his neck, it split into the shape of a hand, starting to strangulate him.
"Y-you son of a—" Deidara grunted as he began to choke, struggling against the pressure exerted by the Nara's shadow. Realizing he could not break free, he cocked his free wrist in his signature hand seal, smirking through the blood trailing on the side of his mouth.
It's over, un!
Shikamaru had no means of knowing about the clay spider that Deidara had secretly kept hidden in Ino Yamanaka's clothing. He could not even see it as it jumped behind him, detonating at the Akatsuki's command.
"KATSU!"
The blond artist was released the moment the bomb went off. He held his neck as he coughed for longer time than expected, wiping his bloody mouth with his wrist. He grinned even wider as the smoke cleared out, revealing Shikamaru in his own pool of blood.
"Gotta admit, un, your techniques were pretty artistic. However—" The blond spoke as he limped closer to the boy's body, contemplating the bloody mess. "...true art, is an explosion un." He muttered in triumph as the bird swept the girl's body in its tail securely, flying with both blonds away.
Hope you liked the chapter, we have finally reached the second part of the story where fluff has more room to develop!
Please don't forget to review! It barely takes a minute and it makes the author really happy ok. Would really love to see feedback especially after such long inactivity. :')
Much love and y'all take care!