Deidara glanced at his teammates as they proceeded through the thick, tall grass of the flatlands. They had been on the move for about four hours since the start of the first trial of the Chunin Exams...and already, he was feeling like the exams were going to kill him. He stopped, sitting down and rubbing his foot. Having earlier walked on a bed of thistles was not helping his disposition.
"Come on, Deidara. We have to keep moving," Bushio said, coming up behind the boy. Yoko was behind him, turning back and looking through the waving flora.
"I...I don't see the village anymore. We're pretty far away from it now..." Yoko said. Bushio shook his head, leaning down to help Deidara up.
"No...we're barely even a mile from it. I've been keeping track," he said. Yoko looked incredulous until Deidara nodded.
"Yeah...this grass is thick as all hell, and it's really easy to lose track of time and distance here, un!" Bushio helped him up as they surveyed the land.
"Deidara...why don't you take a look up above? We'll wait here for you to come back," Bushio said. Deidara nodded, sticking his hands into his pockets and feeling for his clay. His hands lapped it up, and he allowed them a few minutes to compress the composite into a workable mass.
"So...how long do you think this is going to take, Bushio-kun?" Yoko sat down as they waited for Deidara to create his bird. Bushio sighed, standing.
"I don't know. Probably a day or two. The mountain looked far enough away, anyways. Hopefully, we'll run into another team...that way, we can use the safety of numbers," he said. Then, he turned to the other two. "Remember how Tsuchikage-sama told us that there were traps out here? Why haven't we run into any of them yet?" The other two shrugged, and Deidara felt a lump press into his hand. He worked it, quietly and quickly, and threw it on the ground, creating his hand signs and watching it poof into his flying creation.
"Don't worry, un! I'll be sure to figure it out when I get airborne," Deidara said, confidently. With that, he hopped onto his bird, and it took off, flying into the sky. Yoko watched as he soared, and she grimaced, remembering her terrifying flight.
"Hmmmm, let's see. We're here...and the mountain is still way over there...to the East!" Deidara glanced around, trying to get his bearings. He turned, noting that they were, indeed, only about a mile or so from the starting point. Looking down, he saw Bushio and Yoko sitting in the grass directly below him. He could also see the grass waving...other teams making their own way to the mountain's base.
"Ok, so most of the teams are ahead of us. That's alright...we've got you...don't we?" He patted his bird, which hung motionless in the air. Standing, he gave it the order to descend, which it did rapidly until it hovered over the ground. Hopping off, he put his hands together, shrinking the bird. This he placed in his pocket as the other two came over.
"So?" Bushio asked. Deidara gave him a long stare before smiling.
"We're way off! The mountain is way over that way!" He pointed to the East. Yoko sighed.
"It's gonna take us forever to get there!" Bushio nodded, picking his pack up again.
"Alright...let's get going. Good work, Deidara. At least we know we're headed in the right direction!" Deidara nodded, strapping his pack on a little tighter and following the older boy. Yoko grimaced once again, but set off with them.
Further ahead of the trio, another band had made their way to the edge of a small forest. The trees, looming above them, cast ominous shadows down at them.
"This place gives me the creeps," one of them, a young kunoichi, said. One of her partners sneered at her.
"Oh come on! This place is nothing but trees and plants. Come on, let's go!" He took three steps, but stopped suddenly, as if something had just hit him. The other two walked towards him, and the girl put a hand on his shoulder.
"Hey...are you ok? Come on, I thought you weren't scared..." she said, but he didn't reply. He slumped, then went down on his knees, then to his face, lying in the dirt. The other two looked questioningly at each other as they glanced down.
"Maybe...maybe he's just asleep. He did walk a while," she said to her other teammate. He nodded, and bent over to pick the boy on the ground up. He stopped, slapping at his wrist.
"Ah! Damn mosquito!" He bent over again, but his legs felt like rubber. He couldn't move...and he felt dizzy. He hit the dirt next to his partner, leaving the girl alone.
"Wait...what?" Another dart zipped in, burying itself in her neck. She yanked it out, looking at it before dropping it on the ground with shaking hands.
"But...but..." Her vision became blurry, and she took two steps towards her fallen comrades before giving in to the darkness.
"Hehehe...they should have known. When Tsuchikage-sama says there'll be traps, he wasn't kidding," said a Chunin, hiding in one of the nearby trees. He hopped down, going to the three and clucking his tongue. "Well, these three obviously aren't meant to be Chunin. I'll hide them in the bushes and see who else will come through here." With that, he grabbed the three, hauling them roughly into the bushes and laying them down in a shaded area. He looked at them once more before going to his flowers on the ground. Each had a small hole coming from the middle...the perfect area to have chakra propelled darts tipped with a sleeping drug implanted in them. He smiled, kneeling as he replaced the darts.
"Finally! I hate that grass!" Deidara wiggled his way out of the dense vegetation...finding himself on the edge of a stream. He smiled, sitting down and waiting for the other two to arrive. After they had, they looked at one another.
"Alright...let's rest here for a while, and then get to the mountain. Yoko, why don't you fill up the canteens with water...I'll scout around for a while. Think you can manage a fire, Deidara?" Bushio glanced at Deidara, who smiled, nodding. "Good...see you guys in a bit!" With that, Bushio left, hopping across the stream and scouting ahead. Yoko grabbed the canteens, going to the creek while Deidara began building a fire. Putting a match to the small pile of kindling he had put together, Deidara blew gently on the smoldering pile. It roared to life, and he hopped back as it threw out heat. He sighed, warming his hands.
"Hey Yoko! I've got this going! Come on, un!" He turned, but couldn't see Yoko anywhere. He scratched his head, looking around. "She...she was right here, getting water. Where did that girl go now?" He walked to the stream, glancing around. Suddenly, a hand grabbed his foot, and he cried out as he was dragged under the water. There, he floated, suspended just off the bottom of the shallow creek. Yoko was there next to him, giving him fear laden glances as he looked in all directions.
"You kids...you should know better than to let your guard down!" A Chunin wearing an underwater breathing apparatus floated in front of them. The mask on his face allowed him to talk underwater. Deidara gave him glance, and quickly went back to Yoko. Her face was turning blue, and he could see that she was starting to lose consciousness.
"Don't worry...I won't kill you. You will just pass out down here...and be taken out of the Exams. You can always take them next year...hehehehe." The Chunin gave a flourish, spinning in the water. Deidara struggled, hoping to break whatever hold the Chunin had on him.
"Don't try to struggle kid. This is a water jutsu...it's called Solid Water. It turns water into something solid, like a brick, a sword...or even a hand," he said. With that, he yanked Deidara down even further...until Deidara felt bottom under him. He glanced around, feeling his lungs become fire. The Chunin just snickered.
"I have to admit, kid. You are lasting a lot longer than the others I've had. Whew! I mean, you've been down here for like two minutes! You can't last much longer, though. Just give up...it'll go easier on you," the Chunin said. Deidara glared at him. Suddenly, a figure streaked down, smashing the Chunin on the top of the head and releasing his hold on the two Genin. Deidara hit the bottom of the stream, using the rocks as a boosting pad and shooting up. Reaching the surface, he gagged, coughing up water as Bushio fought the Chunin underwater. Glancing around quickly, Deidara again went under, looking for Yoko. She lay on the bottom, out cold. Deidara swam down, picking her up and shooting back towards the surface.
"Come on, Yoko! Breath, un!" Deidara swam to the opposite bank, depositing Yoko on the ground and climbing out of the water. He looked at her. Her lips were blue, and her skin was cold. Deidara didn't know anything about CPR or first-aid, but he did remember when his mother had saved him from drowning...in the bathtub. He had only been four years old, but he still remembered it. He put his hands on Yoko's chest, pumping with all his might. Then, holding her nose, he blew down her throat.
"I hope I'm doing this right, un!" He pumped on her chest again, grabbing her nose once more and blowing oxygen down her esophagus. Suddenly, she came alive, spitting water and coughing. Deidara got up, a smile on his face. "Yes! Glad you're alright!" She looked up at him, breathing heavily.
"Where...where is Bushio-kun?" Deidara gasped, turning and jumping back in the water. He swam down to where Bushio stood, eyeing the Chunin who was glaring right back.
"You're through...you can't breathe down here!" The Chunin flew through the water. Weighted down by the pressure, Bushio couldn't dodge fast enough, and the Chunin hit him square in the stomach, knocking what little wind he had left out of him. He gasped for a second, then shot towards the surface. The Chunin began making hand signs...but didn't see the fish that swam directly at his face until to late. It exploded, sending him tumbling backwards as Deidara joined the fray, his hands already at work with another clay masterpiece. The Chunin shook off the blast, looking up as Deidara planted a fist into his face. With the same attack, he ripped the mask off the man, strapping it onto himself. The Chunin, winded for a moment, stopped tumbling, eying the youth as Deidara took a breathe.
"Now who can't breathe, huh?" The Chunin glared at him, putting his hands up to finish his jutsu. After making a few hand signs at speeds Deidara couldn't follow, he slapped the side of a rock. A cloud of bubbles followed. As they dissipated, Deidara's eyes went wide. A shark, teeth glistening in the sun, stared back at him. The Chunin pointed, and it took off. Deidara turned, heading for the surface as the animal charged him. He released three bundles of clay from his hands as it snapped, almost taking his foot off. He shot out of the water, hitting the land. Another hand of water shot out of the stream, groping for his leg.
"No! Not again, un!" Deidara kicked out, lashing at the hand. However, he cut the arm in two, but the water on the unbroken end formed another hand, grabbing his leg and propelling him underwater once again. The Chunin sat motionless, staring at him as his shark floated in front of him. Deidara glared at both as the shark sped forward. Deidara put his hands together, forming hand signs, as the shark charged. Three small explosives, shaped like normal fish, exploded under the shark, shooting it out of the water...a long with Deidara and the Chunin. Deidara flew through the air, hitting the ground and gasping as the air shot from his lungs. He quickly yanked the mask off himself, gulping in copious amounts of oxygen.
"Deidara...are you ok?" Yoko ran to him, helping him to his feet as he gasped.
"Yeah...yeah, I'm alright Yoko. Where's Bushio?" But Bushio was already there, standing behind him.
"Good work, Deidara," he said, heaving the Chunin to the ground. He was out cold, and Deidara glanced at him. Getting down on his knees, he checked the pulse of the Chunin. It was slow, but it was there.
"Well...serves him right, I suppose, un." Deidara got to his feet, but his head became heavy. He went to a knee, holding it.
"That's what happens when you use a re-breather...you get a mass amount of carbon in your system...but it should clear out eventually," Bushio told him. Deidara nodded while the other two helped him up and back to the fire. He glanced around, but didn't see the shark. It must have gone back to the summoning plane.
"Well...that was interesting. What do we do now?" Yoko asked. Bushio knelt down, warming himself by the fire.
"We keep moving. I found a path into the forest on the opposite side of this stream. We should make it there in an hour...and then to the mountain," Bushio said. Deidara nodded, still to exhausted to speak.
"Well well well...old Hariashi let himself be beaten by my three, eh? Hehe...well, they are better then I thought," said Tazuriko to himself. He was keeping an eye on the three, while at the same time guarding his place in the field. He chuckled. The Tsuchikage had been right...they were ready. He just hoped that they would be able to face the challenges that lay ahead of them.