(Enter Deidara, Doki, Page, and Servants)

Doki I pray thee, good Deidara, let's retire:
The day is hot, the Hyuuga abroad,
And, if we meet, we shall not scape a brawl;
For now, these hot days, is the mad blood stirring.

Deidara Thou art like one of those fellows that when he
enters the confines of a tavern claps me his sword
upon the table and says 'God send me no need of
thee!' and by the operation of the second cup draws
it on the drawer, when indeed there is no need.

Doki Am I like such a fellow?

Deidara Come, come, thou art as hot a Jack in thy mood as
any in Japan, and as soon moved to be moody, and as
soon moody to be moved.

Doki And what to?

Deidara Nay, an there were two such, we should have none
shortly, for one would kill the other. Thou! why,
thou wilt quarrel with a man that hath a hair more,
or a hair less, in his beard, than thou hast: thou
wilt quarrel with a man for cracking nuts, having no
other reason but because thou hast hazel eyes: what
eye but such an eye would spy out such a quarrel?
Thy head is as fun of quarrels as an egg is full of
meat, and yet thy head hath been beaten as addle as
an egg for quarrelling: thou hast quarrelled with a
man for coughing in the street, because he hath
wakened thy dog that hath lain asleep in the sun:
didst thou not fall out with a tailor for wearing
his new doublet before Easter? with another, for
tying his new shoes with old riband? and yet thou
wilt tutor me from quarrelling!

Doki An I were so apt to quarrel as thou art, any man
should buy the fee-simple of my life for an hour and a quarter.

Deidara The fee-simple! O simple!

Doki By my head, here come the Hyuuga.

Deidara
By my heel, I care not.

(Enter Neji and others)

Neji Follow me close, for I will speak to them.
Gentlemen, good den: a word with one of you.

Deidara And but one word with one of us? couple it with
something; make it a word and a blow.

NejiYou shall find me apt enough to that, sir, an you
will give me occasion.

Deidara Could you not take some occasion without giving?

Neji Deidara, thou consort'st with Itachi,--

Deidara Consort! what, dost thou make us minstrels? an
thou make minstrels of us, look to hear nothing but
discords: here's my fiddlestick; here's that shall
make you dance. 'Zounds, consort!

Doki We talk here in the public haunt of men:
Either withdraw unto some private place,
And reason coldly of your grievances,
Or else depart; here all eyes gaze on us.

Deidara Men's eyes were made to look, and let them gaze;
I will not budge for no man's pleasure, I.

(Enter Itachi )

Neji Well, peace be with you, sir: here comes my man.

Deidara But I'll be hanged, sir, if he wear your livery:
Marry, go before to field, he'll be your follower;
Your worship in that sense may call him 'man.'

Neji Itachi, the hate I bear thee can afford
No better term than this,--thou art a villain.

Itachi Neji, the reason that I have to love thee
Doth much excuse the appertaining rage
To such a greeting: villain am I none;
Therefore farewell; I see thou know'st me not.

Neji Boy, this shall not excuse the injuries
That thou hast done me; therefore turn and draw.

Itachi I do protest, I never injured thee,
But love thee better than thou canst devise,
Till thou shalt know the reason of my love:
And so, good Hyuuga,--which name I tender
As dearly as my own,--be satisfied.

Deidara O calm, dishonourable, vile submission!
Alla stoccata carries it away.

(Draws)

Neji, you rat-catcher, will you walk?

Neji What wouldst thou have with me?

Deidara Good king of cats, nothing but one of your nine
lives; that I mean to make bold withal, and as you
shall use me hereafter, drybeat the rest of the
eight. Will you pluck your sword out of his pitcher
by the ears? make haste, lest mine be about your
ears ere it be out.

Neji I am for you.

(Drawing)

Itachi Gentle Deidara, put thy rapier up.

Deidara Come, sir, your passado.

(They fight)

Itachi Draw, Doki; beat down their weapons.
Gentlemen, for shame, forbear this outrage!
Neji, Deidara, Tsunade expressly hath
Forbidden bandying in Kanoha streets:
Hold, Neji! good Deidara!

(Neji under Itchiss arm stabs Deidara, and flies with his followers)

Deidara I am hurt.
A plague o' both your houses! I am sped.
Is he gone, and hath nothing?

Doki What, art thou hurt?

Deidara Ay, ay, a scratch, a scratch; marry, 'tis enough.
Where is my page? Go, villain, fetch a surgeon.

Itachi Courage, man; the hurt cannot be much.

Deidara No, 'tis not so deep as a well, nor so wide as a
church-door; but 'tis enough,'twill serve: ask for
me to-morrow, and you shall find me a grave man. I
am peppered, I warrant, for this world. A plague o'
both your houses! 'Zounds, a dog, a rat, a mouse, a
cat, to scratch a man to death! a braggart, a
rogue, a villain, that fights by the book of
arithmetic! Why the devil came you between us? I
was hurt under your arm.

Itachi I thought all for the best.

Deidara Help me into some house, Doki,
Or I shall faint. A plague o' both your houses!
They have made worms' meat of me: I have it,
And soundly too: your houses!

(Exeunt Deidara and Doki)

Itachi This gentleman, the prince's near ally,
My very friend, hath got his mortal hurt
In my behalf; my reputation stain'd
With Neji's slander,--Neji, that an hour
Hath been my kinsman! O sweet Hinata,
Thy beauty hath made me effeminate
And in my temper soften'd valour's steel!

(Re-enter Doki)

Doki O Itachi, Itachi, brave Deidara's dead!
That gallant spirit hath aspired the clouds,
Which too untimely here did scorn the earth.

Itachi This day's black fate on more days doth depend;
This but begins the woe, others must end.

Doki Here comes the furious Neji back again.

Itachi Alive, in triumph! and Deidara slain though he had it coming...
Away to heaven, respective lenity,
And fire-eyed fury be my conduct now!

(Re-enter Neji

Now, Neji, take the villain back again,
That late thou gavest me; for Deidara's soul
Is but a little way above our heads,
Staying for thine to keep him company:
Either thou, or I, or both, must go with him.

Neji Thou, wretched boy, that didst consort him here,
Shalt with him hence.

Itachi This shall determine that.

(They fight; Neji falls)

Doki Itachi, away, be gone!
The citizens are up, and Neji slain.
Stand not amazed: Tsunade will doom thee death,
If thou art taken: hence, be gone, away!

Itachi O, I am fortune's fool!

DokiWhy dost thou stay?

(Exit Itachi)

(Enter Citizens,)

First Citizen Which way ran he that kill'd Deidara?
Neji, that murderer, which way ran he?

Doki There lies that Neji.

First Citizen Up, sir, go with me;
I charge thee in Tsunades name, obey.

(Enter Tsunade and Shizune, attended; Uchiha, Hyuuga, their Wives, and others)

Tsunade Where are the vile beginners of this fray?

Doki O Lady Tsunade, I can discover all
The unlucky manage of this fatal brawl:
There lies the man, slain by young Itachi,
That slew thy kinsman, brave Deidara.

Lady Hyuuga

Neji, my cousin! O my brother's child!
O Tsunade! O cousin! husband! O, the blood is spilt
O my dear kinsman! Lady Tsunade, as thou art true,
For blood of ours, shed blood of Uchiha.
O cousin, cousin!

Tsunade Doki, who began this bloody fray?

Doki Neji, here slain, whom Itachi's hand did slay;
Itachi that spoke him fair, bade him bethink
How nice the quarrel was, and urged withal
Your high displeasure: all this uttered
With gentle breath, calm look, knees humbly bow'd,
Could not take truce with the unruly spleen
Of Neji deaf to peace, but that he tilts
With piercing steel at bold Deidara's breast,
Who all as hot, turns deadly point to point,
And, with a martial scorn, with one hand beats
Cold death aside, and with the other sends
It back to Neji, whose dexterity,
Retorts it: Itachi he cries aloud,
'Hold, friends! friends, part!' and, swifter than
his tongue, His agile arm beats down their fatal points,
And 'twixt them rushes; underneath whose arm
An envious thrust from Neji hit the life
Of stout Deidara, and then Neji fled;
But by and by comes back to Itachi,
Who had but newly entertain'd revenge,
And to 't they go like lightning, for, ere I
Could draw to part them, was stout Neji slain.
And, as he fell, did Itachi turn and fly.
This is the truth, or let Doki die.

Lady Hyuuga He is a kinsman to the Uchiha;
Affection makes him false; he speaks not true:
Some twenty of them fought in this black strife,
And all those twenty could but kill one life.
I beg for justice, which thou, Tsunade must give;
Itachi slew Neji Itachi must not live.

Tsunade Itachi slew him, he slew Deidara;
Who now the price of his dear blood doth owe?

Uchiha Not Itachi , Tsunade, he was Deidara's friend;
His fault concludes but what the law should end,
The life of Neji.

Tsunade And for that offence
Immediately we do exile him hence:
I have an interest in your hate's proceeding,
My blood for your rude brawls doth lie a-bleeding;
But I'll amerce you with so strong a fine
That you shall all repent the loss of mine:
I will be deaf to pleading and excuses;
Nor tears nor prayers shall purchase out abuses:
Therefore use none: let Itachi hence in haste,
Else, when he's found, that hour is his last.
Bear hence this body and attend our will:
Mercy but murders, pardoning those that kill.

(Exeunt)