A/N: Hello everyone and welcome back! Thank you for the comments thus far. I truly appreciate them. Rated: "M" gore / adult situations / torture
So, without further delay, Chapter 7 of "The Collector" Pain
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Deidara bent towards the ground as the memories from the four years spent in Hell came rushing back to him. His dusty blond hair cascaded onto the floor, obscuring his face, as his body shook viciously. Straining against the bonds that held his arms behind his back, welts and bruises were beginning to form on his tender flesh.
"Deidara?" Sasori asked in grave concern of his friend. At least, he was hoping that the blond would still consider him as such. "Damn it," the red head cursed. "Give me that kunai, Sai!" he ordered the stoic teen that stood off to his side. Not waiting for a response, Sasori yanked the weapon out of Sai's hand and quickly turned it over, using the blade to cut the ropes that bound Deidara. The blonde's hands immediately went to his pulsing temples. "Deidara. What's happening?" Sasori worriedly asked.
"Did it work or not?" Sai cut in irritably.
"What do you think?" Sasori bit back angrily. Immediately, he turned his attention back towards his friend, who was now rubbing his hands up and down his arms, mumbling incoherently. Dropping to his knees as well, Sasori gently brushed the hair away from Deidara's face. He found himself staring into bloodshot eyes, heavily rimmed with dark circles. His large soft brown pupils met with those that had dilated to the size of mere flecks of ice. Reaching a palm out he pressed it lightly against Deidara's cheek, then moved it slowly up towards his forehead. Sasori retracted his hand immediately. "He's burning up!"
"An unfortunate side effect," Sai replied blandly.
"We can't journey like this. We'll have to hold off and wait until…"
"We do not wait. We leave now," Sai growled, pulling Sasori back and bringing them nose-to-nose.
"Let me at least head back to my office and get something for Dei," Sasori argued. "He'll be of no use to us if he died along the way, now would he?"
Sai nodded sullenly, shoving the redhead away.
"Fine,I will wait for you outside then." Gathering his
coat from the couch, Sai swung it around his shoulders, stuffing his
arms through the sleeves and made his way to the front door, letting
it slam shut behind him.
Heaving a heavy sigh, Sasori turned back
to Deidara, then placed a hand on the blonde's back He began to
gently rub back and forth and whispered softly, "Deidara, please.
Talk to me. Tell me what you remember."
Letting his hands fall to the floor, Deidara sat back onto his hunches, turning an icy stare onto Sasori. "Everything," he whispered, shock evident in his voice. Sasori was taken aback. The drug that Pein had created and was now injected into Deidara's body, had it actually worked? Memories and events that seemed to be locked forever, their doors now stood wide open. Despite the evident pain the blond was in, Sasori couldn't help himself. He was curious to know what happened to his friend over ten years ago. It was for research, he told himself, to better understand why Deidara was the way he was, and find out what secrets he held about the taken.
"Deidara, we need to go," Sasori spoke softly.
"Please," the blond pleaded, "Don't make me go back there."
Sasori's heart sank. How could he do this? "I'm sorry," was all he managed to say, averting his eyes.
Narrowing his own eyes, Deidara rose shakily to his feet. "You'll find the answers at Huntington Ridge," the blond replied bitterly. "A name that equals that of Hell itself."
"I've never heard of it," Sasori replied with interest.
"Of course you haven't. Only those held there know of it. It's the last place they ever see." Deidara's eyes began to grow cloudy. Sasori could see the blond fighting with himself for control, but the drug was too powerful. He had to obey. He had no choice. "But you'll be learning more about that soon enough. We shouldn't keep Sai waiting." The blond turned, heading towards his bedroom to change into travel attire. Within seconds, he had reappeared; garbed in black boots, blue pants, and a navy overcoat. A tan scarf was wrapped around his neck. He walked past Sasori without so much as a side glance, pulling the front door open to reveal the dreary overcast sky and snowy white ground.
"Here's the star now," Sai faked a smile. Sasori scowled, quickly grabbing his own coat and following them out, the door swinging shut behind him. "Alright then. You say we need to go into town. Let's make this quick." Sai crossed his arms.
"That fever of Deidara's is critical. I have a supplement that I can give him once we get there. Afterwards, we can go to Huntington Ridge," Sasori answered.
"So that's the name of the place," Sai replied thoughtfully. "It's good that we've obtained a key to access it."
"A key?" Sasori questioned, raising a thin red eyebrow.
"The key," Sai stated, pointing at Deidara. "I had my suspicions but I had to be sure." Sasori was confused. "The mark on his neck. That is the key." Sai called out in exasperation. "It's good that we have a live one. For apparently in death, the mark cannot release the seal. Isn't that right, Deidara?"
"That is correct," came the stiff reply. "The seal is maintained by our chakra, though we are physically cut off from it. We are allowed just enough to sustain life."
"Enough chit-chat. The town is a hike away, so it's time to move. Once we get there, don't try anything foolish like try to escape. My position with the Elders grants me all sorts of privileges and access. You won't get far, trust me," Sai smirked. He turned on his heel and started the long hike back towards the Village of the Trees. Sasori sighed, staring into the glossy blue eyes of his friend. He reached out a gloved hand uncertainly, but stopped. No. He was a betrayer. Whatever he had with the blond was over. Dropping his arm like a stone back to his side, he motioned for Deidara to follow Sai, while he himself brought up the rear.
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Although his exterior maintained the cool and expressionless characteristics he was known for, inside Sasuke was terrified. Endless jars of eyes ran along either side of him on various shelves. It was downright creepy. Trapped beneath the thick leather straps of a strange table, his options were extremely limited. But he had taken his nightmares to heart, strangely enough. His wrists were strapped down, palms face up, granting him a small advantage. The fingers on his left hand began to curl towards the bottom of his palm. There, they began to rub against his armguard, slowly pulling down a small kunai he had tucked away. He'd barely made any progress before he heard the door to his room swing open. His fingers froze, small beads of sweat breaking out along his forehead.
"Hello, Sasuke,"
Karin said sweetly. The raven returned her greeting with a stone
cold one. "Oh don't be like that," she pouted. Seeing the
beads of sweat on Sasuke, she leaned in, planting her soft lips on
his forehead. "Salty, I like that," she commented, licking her
lips. Sasuke wanted to retaliate, but the leather bit didn't give
him the chance.
"I'm sure you won't mind if I borrow
that lovely black shirt of yours as I'm sure there's an Uchiha
fan on the back of it." She scolded herself, "Of course there
is. You always have one." She stepped over to the far side of the
room and reached into a drawer. Withdrawing a small sharp knife, she
returned to Sasuke. "Hmm…how shall I do this? Ha! I know,"
she said coyly. Stretching one of her long, booted legs over Sasuke's
hips, she pulled herself over and sat perched on top of the raven.
His dark eyes narrowed in annoyance. She ran the knife skillfully
back and forth between her fingers, much like one would do with a
coin. Running her opposite hand down Sasuke's cheek, she toyed
with his ebony bangs for a moment, her magenta eyes riveted on
Sasuke's dark orbs. "Those are beautiful, but it's the
Sharingan that is truly magnificent. Soon enough, though, soon
enough." The hand with the knife came down towards the collar of
Sasuke's black shirt, thus she began to expertly cut away at the
fabric, drawing lines down across his chest and shoulders, being
careful not too puncture any of the pale flesh. The soft cotton gave
way easily enough and the shirt soon fell from Sasuke's lean frame.
He shivered as the cool air rushed over his now exposed chest and
stomach. She coolly collected the pieces.
"I have to give this to your friend. Seems you two are leverage for one another. Works to my advantage." Karin kicked her legs back and gave an evil laugh. Sasuke flinched, feeling the kunai's sharp tip prick his left forearm. He hoped that Karin didn't see his reaction. Sobering up, she added, "I have to tell you, these arm guards are a nice touch. I think I'll leave them on when I work on you later." Karin looked deep into the onyx eyes, seeing the questions that lingered there. She leaned in close to his ear, and whispered, "Nothing has happened to your friend…" she paused dramatically "…yet." She laughed again, seeing the anger course through Sasuke's body.
Slipping off of
Sasuke's hips, Karin adjusted her glasses and smoothed out her
purple long sleeved shirt. "Before I go, I might as well get you
ready." She went to the far side of the room, this time returning
with a cart, an IV tube, and a small bag containing a clear liquid.
Taking a small cotton ball from a jar on the top shelf of the cart,
she then pulled out a bottle of alcohol from one of the drawers.
Combining the two, she bent over Sasuke and began to rub it on the
soft flesh on the inside of the raven's right elbow.
Sasuke
watched her warily. He knew what was coming. Tossing away the cotton
ball, Karin hooked the IV tube up to the unknown liquid bag with one
end, then began to search for Sasuke's vein with the other. "It's
always easier when the person is scared. Their veins just seem to
jump out." The raven glowered at her. He was an Uchiha, damn it,
and he did not show fear. He winced as the small needle on the IV
made contact, breaking through his skin. The liquid began to slowly
drain from the bag, down the tube, and into him. Sasuke felt
betrayed by his own body as it warmed to the foreign substance. His
body began to relax, and his eyes drooped. "That should do it.
I'll be off then." Karin rose and headed for the door, leaving
Sasuke once again alone in the room of eyes.
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Naruto had long since given up on struggling against his chains. His wrists and ankles were throbbing after all the strain he put on them. The tiny trails of blood had dried and crusted onto his arms and into his hair. It made him shiver. "How long have I been here?" he wondered, staring up at the ceiling. Raising his head as best he could from the bed, he saw the thin outline of light around a doorframe near the front of the room, and it seemed to be growing. Someone was coming.
"Enjoying your stay?" Karin mocked.
"You!" Naruto's azure eyes blazed with rage.
"Yes, it is I." Pushing her glasses up onto her nose Karin added, "Come now, I want to see the spiral again."
"Spiral?" Naruto blinked.
"Juugo," Karin called without looking behind her. "Come here." The tall man entered silently, his green cape still keeping most of him hidden, other than the wild orange hair on top of his head. He was pushing a metal cart full of various bottles and medical supplies towards them.
"That guy is always around, so why don't I ever sense him or his chakra?" Naruto muttered to himself. Juugo didn't even glance at Naruto as he busied himself by readying a syringe.
"Need better lighting?" Karin asked innocently. Smiling wickedly down at Naruto, she walked over the light switch and flicked on the overhead bulb. The room was illuminated, revealing various patches of skin hanging on the walls. Each piece seemed to be adorned with some type of tattoo or various inked marking.
"Is that…" Naruto's tanned face paled.
"Human skin, why yes, it is," Karin replied, striding back towards Naruto. "Some people consider the body to be a canvas. Well, now that canvas is a part of my collection." It didn't take long for Naruto to understand what was in store for him. "Now, let's see your tattoo," she asked again with more force.
"It doesn't work that way," Naruto deadpanned, closing his eyes to the skins, wishing he was anywhere besides this horrible place.
"Oh that's right. You need a little motivation, I suppose." Withdrawing a black piece of fabric from her tan pouch, she drawled, "Look familiar?" Naruto's eyes widened at the sight of the slashed up Uchiha fan that dangled between the lose strips of black cotton. Karin was twirling and twisting it around her fingers.
Naruto gritted his teeth. "What have you done with Sasuke?"
"What indeed," Karin countered vaguely.
Torn between anger and
fear for both himself and Sasuke, Naruto opened his eyes, the azure
blue no longer there, but replaced with a deep blood red. The
circular pupils had morphed into thin slits. Flexing his fingers, he
felt his nails grow sharp and fierce, cutting into his own palms. The
whiskers on his cheeks grew thick and broader, while razor-sharp
fangs protruded from his lips. Karin pulled back on Naruto's orange
shirt, reveling in the sight on the dark spiral that had appeared on
the teen's stomach. Reaching back, she asked for the syringe that
Juugo had readied. "You know what to do," she ordered.
Juugo
nodded, handed her the tool, and then stepped around her, seizing
Naruto's upper arms with an iron grip. He shoved the blond roughly
back down into the bed, further restricting his movements. Naruto
snarled at the both of them: Juugo, who stared down at him
impassively, and Karin, who was now running a finger down his flat
stomach and tracing the symbol to its center. Once she found it, she
leaned in and kissed the depression of his belly button, darting her
warm tongue in and out. "Perfect," she breathed, bringing up the
syringe. Naruto tried pulling further away from the crazy woman, but
he had nowhere to go as the needle's tip pricked his tanned flesh,
a dark purplish liquid being injected. Naruto's body broke out in
goose bumps and he shivered uncontrollably. It was as if ice were
flowing through his veins rather than blood. Gripping Naruto's chin
within her thumb and forefingers, Karin forced him to look at her.
"You know what else, I like these whiskers too." Naruto's eyes
narrowed. Jerking his head out of her grasp, he opened his mouth to
try and bite at her hand. "Tsk, tsk," Karin scolded, barely
getting her hand out of the way of the vicious fangs. "I suppose
I'll need to do something about that."
Turning back to the cart, she reached into one of the lower drawers and withdrew a thin silver instrument. It had two handles that were parallel to each other and stood at about 8 inches in length that extended from a small round metal nub. A thin leather strap dangled off the front of the nub. "Juugo," she prompted. The tall man released his grip on Naruto's arms, and went to the blonde's face. Gripping the lower jaw with one hand and Naruto's upper jaw with the other, he began to separate the two, inch by inch. Gasping and snarling, Naruto tried to tear away, yet to no avail. It only took Karin a second to insert the nub into the blonde's mouth, where it rested on his tongue. Running the leather strap around the base of Naruto's head, she secured it in place by tightening the strap and tying off the excess fabric. "By the way, that's not just for keeping you quiet. In fact, when I push the handles together, it will force that nub that's inside your mouth to expand, which in turn, will open your mouth for teeth extraction." Naruto's eyes widened. Karin smirked, hands resting on her hips. "In the meantime, that icy feeling you have, it's a type of paralyzer. See, Juugo does a better job with the skin when the subject is still. But I wouldn't want to miss out on what's going to happen to you, so you won't be able to move yet you'll still be aware of everything. Nice, huh?" she winked. "Alright then," Karin stretched her arms above her head. "You can take it from here, Juugo. I have one more thing I have to do before I call it quits for the day." Karin stepped lightly back towards the door and left without a backwards glance.
"Shall we get started then?" Juugo's deep voice penetrated the silence that followed Karin's leave. Naruto couldn't even focus on what the man was saying. His jaws throbbed with pain as did his upper arms, while deep bruises and welts formed from the rough treatment. The chains seemed to constrict around his wrists and ankles leaving him to the mercy of the tall, quiet man. "The shirt is going to get in the way," Juugo sighed. "She should have removed it before you were chained up." Pulling up Naruto's shirt towards his shoulders, the tall man pinned it down on either side using two spare scalpels. Naruto was flustered and terrified, though annoyance took priority at the moment. Juugo was staring down at the blond with interest before he turned away.
"What the hell is this stupid giant looking at?" Naruto thought bitterly to himself. "My chakra is frozen, Dead. There's nothing to see."
Juugo had placed a heavy silver bucket onto the cart next to Naruto and was now searching for something else. Naruto happened to catch the reflection of himself in the shiny material. The mouth contraption looked horrible attached to his face like that. It felt horrible too. Risking a second glance, he was shocked to see dark red irises staring back at him. "I'm still in Kyuubi mode? How can that be? I don't feel any chakra."
Juugo lifted his head to see Naruto scrunching his eyebrows at his reflection in the bucket. "Your chakra was frozen at this point and that's how you'll look for awhile, so you might as well get used to it." Naruto blinked his eyes in alarm. He never stayed like this for long periods of time. He had no idea what would happen. Juugo didn't seem too concerned, as he dipped an oversized paintbrush into the bucket. A cream colored liquid dripped from the bristles as it was pulled out. Juugo gently brought the brush down onto the spiral on his stomach, and he began to paint. The brush swept deftly over his body, the creamy color of the liquid darkening his already tanned skin. Naruto didn't understand what he was doing and he certainly couldn't ask. He laid his head back on the pillow and waited to see what would happen. What else could he do? In an odd way, the brushstrokes relaxed him and he closed his eyes. Maybe this was all a bad dream, and he'd wake up, find himself nestled in the arms of Sasuke, both of them warm and safe. Naruto was brought out of his fantasy when he felt the same brush strokes being applied to his face. His eyes bolted open to see Juugo painting the same creamy liquid onto his cheeks, making sure they covered his whiskers. He tried to growl, but only ended up making some sort of pathetic whimpering sound. "That should be enough," Juugo stated, tossing his brush and bucket back onto the cart. He then pushed it back towards the far wall. Stifling a yawn, he ran his other hand through his spiky orange hair. "I got one more thing for you," he mumbled. Sliding open the smallest drawer on the cart, he withdrew a silver bracelet. He walked tiredly back to Naruto, slapping the band onto the blonde's wrist. "Now, this whole process takes awhile, so I'll be back to finish you up later." He turned, headed towards the door, flicking the light off as he headed out. Naruto was left in complete darkness, alone with his thoughts.
It was dark, uncomfortable, and painful. Naruto lay in the dead silence, racking his brain for any type of solution to get out of his situation. There seemed to be no answer. "Could things possibly get any worse?" he thought sourly. Sure enough, extreme pain shot through his face and stomach as the skin that was painted began to tighten, toughen, and dry out.
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"You're still awake, I see," Karin crossed her hands across her chest. "You are a fighter, I'll give you that."
Sasuke muttered a "Hn" through his bit. She had no idea just how hard it was to fight the narcotics that ran through his body. Sleep seemed so wonderful right now. No. He shook his head, his ebony bangs rubbing gently against his face. Damn her and her drugs.
"Before I head home for today, I figured I'd set you up for the procedure I have planned for you tomorrow," Karin stated mildly. "I'm sure you remember that nifty device with the eight needles from your nightmares, hmmm?" Sasuke blanched, any ideas of sleep evaporating. He had hoped that that was something his limited imagination had invented. Apparently not, as the unusual contraption was wheeled over to him. Karin positioned the device above his dark head, where the machine whirred to life. Those same two dirty bulbs blazed with light as the thin piece of steel extended downwards towards his head. It stopped as it leveled out with his face. The end opened, revealing two claws containing those same dreaded needles from before, a total of eight, four on either side. They soon moved into position, halting when they were parallel with his temples. Small tips shown viciously in his peripheral vision. A clear, waxy liquid dripped slowly and thickly from the sharp points.
"I bet you wondered what exactly it is this device does," Karin leaned over the raven. "It's a shame you always woke up at about this part." Sasuke's fear was overthrown by confusion. "I bet you're wondering how I knew about those," Karin teased, reading Sasuke's thoughts. Taking a bow, she said, "That would be my handy work. I must admit, when I first laid eyes on you, I knew that someday, you'd belong to me." She ran her eyes up and down the raven's lean muscular frame. "You are truly amazing," she sighed wistfully. "I suppose a little touching wouldn't hurt." Karin ran a hand alongside Sasuke's jawbone, then down his neck. She leaned in, taking the sweet junction of the neck and shoulders into her pink lips. Wanting to travel down Sasuke's breastbone, she halted at the leather straps. The raven sighed inwardly. These straps were good for something after all. Karin grew annoyed, seeing the relief in the black orbs. "You think those'll save you, do you?" An evil grin quickly formed across her face as her eyes floated down to Sasuke's lower half. "I suppose I can have some fun with what's at this end just as well." The raven paled. Running a hand along the inside of Sasuke's thighs, she began to massage the tender area. It wasn't long though before her delicate fingers traveled upwards, and found what awaited them, rubbing and stroking at Sasuke's hardening cock. How she cursed the black fabric that separated her from skin on skin contact. Sasuke shifted uneasily, felt betrayed by his own body again. Damn this woman. After what seemed like an eternity, she finally stopped.
"It's getting late. I'd love to do this again something though," she winked. Turning into all business, she said, "But I do have a job to do," as she pushed a button on the device, causing the needles to pierce Sasuke's temples. Pain flared through his face and down his neck. He felt as if he were on fire. He flinched and struggled, the burning in his eyes made him want to claw them out. Tears mixed with blood as both spilled from his eyes and traveled down his cheeks, while choked waves of pain tried to escape his lips. Karin turned away from the agonizing teen, and opened the amount of fluid draining from the IV to its fullest amount. The clear liquid poured into his vein so quickly, that some of it spilt to the floor. Karin shrugged. She needed the Uchiha to be asleep by morning, and this was the quickest way. "Now you know," she stated, matter-of-factly. "Sleep tight, Sasuke," she called sarcastically. Sasuke didn't even know she left. He was wrapped up in a world of pain from which there was no escape.
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The trio continued their trek towards the Village of the Trees in silence. Sai led the way, though he was constantly checking over his shoulder to make sure that neither the redhead nor the blond attempted to make a break for it. "Don't worry, Ino," I'm coming for you," he thought with determination. "Nothing can keep me from you now."
Meanwhile, Sasori was focused on Deidara, whose long blond hair was tossing about lightly in the breeze. He had been searching for the right words to begin when he couldn't stand it anymore. Curiosity is a powerful thing, and he was as susceptible to it as anyone. Shoving his hands into his jacket pockets, he quickened his stride until he was pacing Deidara. "So, Deidara," he hesitantly began. The blond muttered something in acknowledgement, but did not turn his attention on Sasori. "Tell me what it was like at Huntington Ridge." Deidara froze in his tracks turning an icy stare onto the redhead. The anger and hurt in his friend's eyes made Sasori shrink back a little, but he wanted to know. Sai soon realized he was the only one still making crunching noises in the snow.
Sighing angrily, he spun around and bit out, "Is there a problem, gentlemen?"
"Of course not," Sasori replied quickly. He grabbed Deidara's arm with his gloved hand, then fell into step again. Sai eyed them in annoyance and dropped back to the rear.
"Deidara, I know you remember," Sasori whispered. The blond said nothing, giving Sasori the cold shoulder. Growing frustrated the redhead stated flatly, "I'm not asking Deidara, I'm ordering. Tell me." Deidara looked hatefully at Sasori. As much as he wanted to resist, his firm resolve was breaking under the influence of the drug. His icy stare mellowed and his eyes glazed over.
"Fourteen years ago," Deidara reluctantly began, "That was the day my life had changed forever…."
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- 14 years ago, -- Dark Woods – Part 1 -
"Hey! I need a wagon!" a lean, teenage Suigetsu called out above the roar of the fire. Flames licked and danced up into the dark night, while the smells of charred wood and flesh filled the air. Within moments, a large black horse emerged on the ash-filled trail, dragging behind it a steel cage that rested on large wooden wheels. "It's about time, Juugo," Suigetsu snapped. "Open the back."
A tall, muscular teen jumped down from the driver's seat and went around to do as he was ordered. The heavy door swung open and banged against its metal frame. Suigetsu dragged a young blond boy towards the opening, though it was a battle the entire way. Deidara dug his heels into the ground hard, his sandals dragging dirt and mud with him. He was shouting and waving his fists around in attempt to escape. "Juugo, take care of this one. He's feisty, so Karin should like that," Suigetsu sneered. The orange-haired man nodded, easily picking up Deidara by the scruff of his neck and tossing him face-first into the wagon, where he landed with a hard thud. "The other wards have collected most everyone else from this pathetic village and already caged them. So once you get this kid ready, join the line. I've got a few things to do to finish up here. Mainly, cover our tracks, put out the rest of the fire, and make sure whoever isn't caged is dead." Suigetsu hopped up onto a tree branch. "I'll see you later," he called, taking off into the dark forest. Attempting to catch his breath and rising up on shaky limbs, Deidara was shoved back onto the floor of the cage. A sandaled foot nestled in the small of his back, pinning him to the ground. His arms were roughly pulled behind him, where they were secured with a thick rope. Once that was complete, his legs were pulled straight as the same rope coiled around them, ending with a giant complicated knot. Once the weight was lifted, Deidara heard the sharp clang! of the door being closed, with it any hope of escape. Juugo had locked the door with a large padlock and headed back towards the driver seat. Pulling himself up, he grabbed the reins and picked up a horse whip.
"Let's go," he called out. The horse whinnied, trotting over to its place in line behind a large row of other similar wagons. Deidara rolled to his side, the only movement he was capable of in his situation. He stared back through desolate blue eyes at what was once his village, the only place he'd even known. The day had started out great, it was his tenth birthday and his parents had a surprise party planned for him. There were gifts, food, love and laughter echoing throughout the place. It was hard to believe that only hours later, it would be ravished by fire, death inescapable for some, while imprisonment was the alternative for others. Deidara had no idea where his parents were, or if they were still alive. People were running and screaming in chaos, and they had gotten separated. Tears began to stream down Deidara's dirty cheeks. His parents had taught him to be strong, but right now he was terrified. The horse moved along at a steady rate, leaving the Dark Woods behind, with it, the Rock Village, which was now merely a smoldering pile of rubble.
The sun was streaking through the criss-crossed rows of metal that formed Deidara's cage. He squirmed and squinted his eyes. "Morning?" he said groggily. He winced at the stiffness in his muscles. "That's right," he thought bitterly, "I'm still tied up." The wagon had suddenly ceased. Shaking his dusty blond hair, he gazed up and saw a large, two-story brick building that stood tall and foreboding. An eerie haze surrounded it along with deep drifts of snow and ice. What was this place? He didn't have much time to contemplate it, as the door creaked open, revealing three featureless wards, which dragged him out the back. Deidara tried to fight them, but he was weak from the lack of food, strength, and injury. He settled for giving them a dirty look as they grabbed him by his upper arms and hauled him towards the building. It was difficult to walk being tied up as he was, and he strained his neck, trying to locate his parents. There were a lot of cages being emptied, and a lot of people bound as he was; yet he didn't recognize anyone. He gulped nervously. Fear swept over him like a wave and he bucked, sending one of the wards sailing backwards. "No, I don't want to go!" he cried. "I want my mom and dad!" He rants were short lived when he saw the same lean teen that had captured him in the first place looking down smugly at him.
"What's the matter, huh? You don't like your new home?" he mocked, coming down face to face with Deidara. "Well, you better get used to it," he said, flicking Deidara in the forehead with his finger. Rising back up again, he issued an order to the wards. "Put him in Room 43." The wards began to drag Deidara up the stone steps towards the front door. "Oh kid, you should take a good look at the sun. You probably won't get another chance to see it." Deidara's blue eyes widened and he paled.
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- Back to current -
"We're finally here," Sai stated blandly, stopping in front of the gates to the Village of the Trees. "Get whatever it is you need, so we can finally be on our way." Sasori sighed in annoyance. He wanted to learn more about Deidara's past. Now was not the time. He could continue this when they made their way to Huntington Ridge. Motioning the blond silent with a wave of his hand, Sasori thought over the things he'd need for the upcoming journey. The dusty blond fell quiet, his icy blue eyes returning to their larger size as he looked around in confusion, which turned swiftly into nervousness, looking up at the large wooden gates. He hadn't been here since his time with Pein. Taking a hesitant step backwards, he bumped lightly into Sasori.
"There's nothing to worry about, Dei," Sasori whispered, putting a strand of Deidara's long blond hair behind his ear. The redhead leaned in close enough for a quick nibble on his friend's ear. With the fever Deidara had, it made his skin hot to the touch, yet it was rather erotic. The blond pulled away quickly, shaking off Sasori's lips, and walked up towards the gates. He'd rather take his chances with strangers rather than let Sasori touch him again. Sai smirked. He was rather enjoying seeing the rejection on Sasori's face.
"You have thirty minutes to get what you need," said Sai. Sasori nodded running his hands through his hair. He was about to call Deidara over when Sai placed a firm grip on the blonde's shoulder, pulling him back. "You'll go alone."
"What? But I need Deidara back at my office," Sasori countered. Sai smiled one of his fake smiles, pulling out the small weapon that he carried on his shoulder.
"Sorry, but this is some insurance for me. Deidara says with me, out here. If you take even one minute past the time limit, I will personally start cutting off Deidara's fingers with this dagger, one by one until you show up. Now get moving." Sai said impatiently. Shaking his red mane of hair in irritation, Sasori jammed his hands into his jacket's pockets and entered through the gates, headed towards the "Boar's Head."
----------------------------------------- END Chapter 7 -----------------------------------------
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