Chapter Two

Just Like That

The next morning, Sakura woke bright and early, eager to get to her job quickly. How she despised taking breaks…it wasn't fair for her to be able to rest while countless shinobi were out there - risking their lives - without a free moment to spare!

She and a quarter of Konoha's medical crew were placed in an area a little ways outside of Konoha's border. Medics camped out in their own tents to sleep at night, and returned to their patients (which stayed in medical bases nearby) in the morning. To say that this was a hard way of living was an understatement. Being away from family and friends - especially in wartime - was never an easy thing to endure. But each medic knew what they were getting into, and wished for the betterment of Konoha over their own happiness.

After Sakura got dressed, she rushed out of her tent, fervently awaiting to see if Deidara had stayed like she asked.

Opening the doors to the medical base, she paused, scanning each individual bed. And unfortunately, Deidara was missing. The covers on his bed were messily pushed back, and one of the two pillows were tossed on the floor, the cover falling off.

Sakura groaned loudly and rubbed her temples with her hands.

"I just knew that I couldn't trust that lazy, arrogant, piece of--"

"--piece of what, yeah?"

Sakura spun around, and was somewhat surprised to see Deidara. He had a small basket full of fruits in his left hand, and holding a half eaten loaf of bread in the other.

Sakura scowled at him and said curtly, "I thought you left."

Deidara gave her his best innocent look, and pretended to be offended. "Why, Sakura, I would never, yeah! I'm surprised at you for thinking I would do such a horrific thing to my most beloved, my most wonderful, my sweet --"

"Okay, you can cut the act now." Sakura said, rolling her eyes.

"Somebody's grumpy, yeah. Here," Deidara tossed an apple at her, and she caught it.

Sakura inspected the apple warily. "…what's this?"

"It's what it looks like, genius. Just eat, yeah. Hungry people are cranky people, and cranky people are annoying people. However in your case," He poked her forehead. "you're just annoying all the time."

Sakura wiped her head quickly before taking in the apple once more. "You didn't poison it or anything did you?"

"Sakura, if I wanted you dead, it would've already happened. Although," He glared at her through a blue orb. "I will never forgive you for killing Danna. And for that," He spat. "I hate you."

Sakura looked away from his piercing gaze and began to eat her apple. Okay, so apparently that was a sensitive subject. But what could she possibly do about it? Sasori was trying to kill her! She didn't like killing people, but at that point it was necessary.

"Sorry…" She muttered, and began fumbling around her medic bag, pretending to look for something.

Deidara sighed, clearly aggravated. Sakura was almost positive that the guy was bipolar.

"So," Deidara mused, munching on his loaf of bread. "what's the agenda for today, yeah?"

Yep. Definitely bipolar.

"The usual. Wait here until somebody needs my help." Sakura said, pulling up a small plastic chair to sit on.

"Well, that doesn't sound very fun…"

"Maybe not, but it's my job."

Deidara considered what she said. Swallowing another piece of bread, he too pulled up a chair next to Sakura.

"So Akatsuki, huh?" Sakura pondered, turning her half eaten apple over in her hands. "Speaking of which -" She looked around the base. "where's your cloak?"

Deidara shrugged. "I have no idea where my cloak is, yeah. Probably got blown off me back there somewhere when that baka hit me with those poison needles…" He rolled his eyes at the memory. "Right in the head, too, yeah!"

Sakura laughed. "That seems so unlikely somehow! An Akatsuki passing out…" She took a bite of apple. "But why didn't anyone come and find you? Your partner, maybe?"

Deidara shook his head. "My partner is a little…unreliable to say the least. Besides, we Akatsuki usually come and go as we please. I bet nobody even noticed I'm gone, yeah."

"But what if you died? Wouldn't anyone care?"

Again, Deidara shrugged. "Probably not."

"Well, that's just…sad!"

Deidara grunted. "It's no worse then what you're enduring now, yeah."

"Maybe so, but I really don't think I'm going to die anytime soon… and even if I did, I'm sure somebody would mourn for me. Family, friends…you know. Don't you have any of that?"

Deidara looked away and remained silent, chewing on the last remains of his bread.

Okay, so that was a definite no.

"Nobody?" Sakura asked, astounded.

"…I had a brother. He died though. Some seven years ago, yeah." He wiped his hands on his shirt. "But we're talking about you - staying so far out here, with no family or friends. It's hard. I should know, yeah." He stood up and began walking over to the door.

"…Deidara? W-where are you going?"

He turned to her and smiled. "To have some fun, yeah."

"Fun!?"

"Sure, why not, yeah?"

"But…this is war! People are getting killed!"

"All the more reason to go, yeah. Getting away from everything is never bad."

"I can't go! What if somebody needs my help?"

"Look around, Sakura. Do you see anybody in need of help right now, yeah?"

Sakura looked around the base, somewhat hesitantly. She let out a barely audible, "…No."

"Then COME ON, yeah!" Deidara said, fleeting out of the base.

"Aah! Wait for me!" Sakura cried running after. "Deidara! I mean it!"

Deidara slowed his pace down a bit so she could catch back up. "Oh, look who's come to join me, yeah!" He chuckled.

"Oh shut up! The only reason why I came is because you're still ill technically. If you were to pass out or something, it would be my fault!" She said matter-of-factly.

Deidara shrugged. "Whatever, yeah."

They passed by several people and tents, all the while being pretty much silent.

"…Deidara? What if someone were to recognize you? Then you'd be taken away!"

Deidara stuck his tongue out at her. "Nobody's gonna notice, yeah. People are way too concerned with the war to really pay attention to anything but their duties, yeah. Plus, if you look around, there's not very many people here. Nobody's gonna recognize me."

Sakura nodded, accepting his answer to be correct. "Well…where are we going anyway?"

"All in due time, Sakura-Chan. All in due time."

Deidara ran into a dense forest located a little ways east of the base. Sakura followed close behind, although she found it a bit difficult to keep up due to his fast speed.

"Deidara, - ouch!" A sharp branch had left a cut down her arm - and it was bleeding atrociously. She hissed in pain as she moved to heal it, but remembered that she was following Deidara, so she had to keep up.

"You move so slow, yeah!" Deidara called, about thirty feet in front of her.

"And you move too fast, yeah!" She sassily added his favorite word to the end of her sentence.

"Hey! No making fun of my accent, yeah!"

"I can do whatever I want to do." She looked at her arm. "I'm bleeding Deidara. Slow down."

Deidara ran back towards her and inspected her arm. "Oh you must be kidding, yeah! This is barely a scratch! I've had to endure BOTH of my arms being torn off, mind you!" He ripped off the hem of his shirt and tied it around Sakura's wound.

"There. Now will you c'mon, yeah?!"

Sakura's lip went out in a pout.

The two continued bounding through the forest for what seemed like a long time - maybe even a few hours.

Just when Sakura thought she could take no more, they stumbled upon a clearing.

"…what's all this?" Sakura asked, looking around the clearing. It was beautiful - colorful flowers sprouted from the ground, and there was no place that she could look that wasn't green. Above her head were the tops of the tall trees, swaying in the wind.

"It's so pretty…" Sakura cooed, looking at her surroundings. But then she looked back at Deidara, whom was staring at her. "…Deidara?"

He started to approach her, slowly and carefully - and that was when Sakura began to get frightened. "…What's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?"

When he didn't say anything, she started to back away. "Please! Answer me."

And then suddenly, a gust of wind blew by and he was gone.

"Deidara?"

She felt the breath of somebody behind her - Deidara no less.

"Sakura…" He breathed. "I'm sorry, yeah."

"…Dei--?!"

Emerald orbs opened wide at the sudden sharp impact - and then she fell unconscious.

Deidara stared at the small girl buried in the grass. Sure, he felt bad about what he had just done, but it was for the greater good. Well, his good anyway.

"I'm sorry Sakura. But I had to get away somehow, yeah. If I used any other way other than this one, you would've killed me." He chuckled at the thought. "Besides, I think it'll be better this way. You don't need me, yeah. But just so you know…" He picked up a yellow daisy and put in one of her hands. "I'll be watching you."

Another gust of wind blew and he was gone with a puff of smoke. Just like that.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

YAY! Second Chappie! ^///^ Hopefully i'll get the next one posted soon. Please review! I'll do my best to reply!

Thankies! -Getsuei-Hime

Disclaimer - [i always seem 2 forget this somehow...] Naruto doesn't belong 2 me!!!