Deidara stood at the tree, touching the bark lightly. Looking up, he smiled, remembering...that day. He hopped into the boughs of the old plant, sitting down on the branch that he had lain on that day so long ago. It had been that tree that he had first met his team. That tree...where Yoko and Bushio...and him. He sighed. It had been so long ago, he felt, yet it was only less then a year. He hadn't been a Genin very long, and he was already in the finals of the Chunin exams.
"Yoko...I'm going to win this thing...for you, un!" He got up, hopping back to the ground. Flexing his hands and arms, he stretched, popping tendons and smiling as his joints snapped. "Well, knowing that I have a little less then a week will help me get into shape, I suppose. I have time to come up with some plans."
"I hope you have plans, because if you don't, you won't last long!" Bushio stepped from behind the tree, smiling over at the blonde boy, who returned it.
"Yeah, I know that, un!" Bushio shook his head, his smile still on his face.
"So...what is the plan, huh?" Deidara put a finger to his lips, gazing up at the sun.
"Umm...I don't know. I guess I'll just have to wing it, un." Bushio walked over, smacking the boy on the head. "OW! What the hell was that for, un?" Bushio grunted.
"Without a plan, you're as good as dead if you go up against that Junio guy. You have to have a solid plan first...otherwise, you'll be nothing but a pancake. A...well roasted pancake," he said. He turned, his joke turning sour in his mouth. Deidara nodded sadly, and turned away.
"Yo!" They both turned around, staring as Tazuriko made his appearance.
"Tazuriko-sensei! Where did you come from?" Deidara walked up to the man, who smiled, patting the boy on the head.
"Oh...you know, this place and that place. So, what are you guys doing? Figuring out anything to help with the tests?" Bushio looked at him scornfully. Tazuriko quirked an eyebrow, staring over at his young ward. "What the hell is that look for?"
"You were there...right there! You could've stopped it. Why didn't you?" Tazuriko, momentarily lost for words, continued staring before breaking off eye contact and looking up into the clouds.
"I didn't stop it. I suppose I could've. But then again, why didn't anyone stop it? Perhaps because we didn't know that the boy would go so far. Perhaps we should have. But," and now he looked at the two boys. "But, we are shinobi. We live and die by the blade. You know that as well as I do...and Yoko knew that to. She knew what she was getting into. You two should be proud of her. She didn't quit, and she gave her all." Deidara, his eyes misty, looked to the ground, scuffing his shoe. Tazuriko smiled at them, and then clapped Bushio on the back. "Well, you two need to train. Bushio, you and I are going to leave now."
"What? Why?" Bushio glanced up, noting the seriousness in the face of the other. Tazuriko, bending down on his knee, stared eye-to-eye with him.
"You understand basic technique and have a mastery of the rock clone jutsu. That's good, but you can do better. What I'm going to do is show you how to do better." Then, he got up, looking over at Deidara, who seemed forlorn, standing all alone. "Deidara, I'm sorry. I can't help you. Your jutsu is too unique. Even with my advanced knowledge of jutsu, I wouldn't be any help to you. I'm sorry. However," he said, going to the blonde boy and kneeling down in front of him. "However, with this time alone, you can invent your very own jutsu. Something you crafted yourself, that no one else can do." He took one of Deidara's hands in his own, flipping it and smiling down at the mouth that smiled back. "I'm sure your friends will be most helpful in this." Getting up, he ruffled the boy's hair, putting his hands together and beckoning Bushio to him. "Goodbye Deidara. Bushio and I will see you in about four days time. Until then!" With that, a swirl of wind and a poof of smoke, and nothing stood in front of Deidara but scenery. Deidara pouted, sitting down and scooping dirt up.
"This is boring, un! I don't have anyone to train with, or come up with strategies with. This sucks, un!" He got down on his stomach, sifting dirt through his hand. A worm popped up, wriggling back and forth. Deidara grinned, putting the worm down and watching it squirm on the surface of the dirt. "Do you want to train with me, un? I bet your a fierce competitor!" He stood up, pointing down at the wriggling annelid. "Very well! I accept your challenge, un!" He stood for a second, and then pouted again. "This is dumb. This worm is a horrible partner!" He got down, squishing the worm in two. He was about to leave it at that, until he noticed that worm was still wriggling. He watched, fascinated, as it writhed, each half moving of its own accord. Still fascinated, he examined one half. It seemed perfectly fine, except for being only half a worm. That gave him an idea for a new attack. He put the worm down, digging a small hole and depositing both halves into it. Covering up his latest muse, he stood. "Thanks wormy! You were a big help after all, un!" Then, he began to work!
"Tazuriko-sensei, what are we doing out here? This is stupid! Shouldn't I be working on my rock clone jutsu some more?" Bushio was glaring across at the Jounin, who was smiling at him. He had taken the boy to the outreaches of the village, a place no one would bother them. He had already procured the necessary provisions for their trek, so all was ready.
"Do you know how to make rock clones?" The boy shook his head, grunting his affirmative. "Good, then you don't need to practice something you already know, idiot! I'm going to show you something new!" Bushio looked up, a little surprised.
"Really? Something brand new, huh? Like what? How to make my rock clones do homework or something?" Tazuriko chucked over a kunai, watching as the boy skillfully snagged it in midair. He hadn't thrown it that hard anyways.
"No, smart ass! I'm going to teach you two things, actually. One, I'm going to teach you how to evade attacks, because you need to work on that! Two, I'm going to teach you the art of transformation!" Bushio came up, staring at him.
"Transformation? Like turning myself into a bird, or a rock or something?" Tazuriko smiled, shaking his head.
"No. Like transforming yourself into other people. A shinobi must learn how to gain vital information. One way to do that is to transform yourself in the image of someone else. This is a key skill...one that you don't have!" Bushio grunted, leaning against a rock.
"Ok, so teach me then!" Tazuriko laughed, walking over to the boy and sitting down.
"Not that simple, my young, foolish friend. However, we have four days to get it right...so I suppose that we should begin, huh?" Bushio smiled. Finally, something that would help him.
Deidara lay on the ground, panting. He had used up almost all of his chakra, but he still had plenty of clay left in his bag. Thankfully, the Village Hidden in the Stones had an abundant supply of the stuff around, and his friends from the academy were ever ready to bring him some, as long as they got something out of it. He smiled, looking up at the sun. He had promised Yanoi he would have dinner with her at her house. He was sure that he would need her later on, since Yanoi's parents owned one of the biggest mines in the area. A large, deep shaft, it housed valuable diamond and ruby deposits. Further down, gold and silver. However, he was only interested in the top layer, which consisted of nothing but pure, rich clay! His art needed the stuff, and Yanoi was only too happy to have daddy bring her a bucket of the stuff every once in a while, as long as it meant being around him.
"Well, what should I do now, un? Should I wait until I get my strength back? Or should I come up with a better plan?" He straightened, looking up at the clouds. They were magnificent, clouds. One minute, they were something, and the next, something completely different. They changed, never staying the same, always flowing. A bird...no, a dog...no, a rabbit...no...Yoko's face. He smiled, pointing up at one of the clouds and imagining himself swirling it around to be another shape. His art was like clouds. One minute they were whole, plainly solid. The next, they were explosions. That was the best part. The explosions. He still got a kick out of each one. Each explosion gave him a purpose. Each one gave him the feeling that he was the master of his own universe.
"Well, I suppose I could just wing it during the finals, un! That way, I won't know what's coming, and they won't know that I don't know...so they won't know that I know that they know that I don't know what's coming...you know? Or something like that anyways." He got up, brushing himself down. Climbing his tree again, he stood on the bough that he had stood on long ago. Glancing at the city, he sighed, sitting down. "Yoko...Bushio...I wish you guys were here with me right now, un."
"No no no! You're not getting it right! Like this!" Tazuriko again put his hands up, transforming himself into the Tsuchikage, holding it, and then releasing the jutsu. "Now...try it again!" Bushio, almost completely spent, put his hands together. He transformed in a blur of smoke and dust, and stood there, waiting. Tazuriko threw a hand to his brow, shaking his head. "You'll never get it. You look like Tsuchikage-sama with a bad hair day, a bad beard day...a bad FACE day!" Bushio grunted, returning to his original form.
"Hey, this is only day one. You have to work with me on this. Geez, it's not like I've ever done this before." Tazuriko, annoyed, turned around, stamping his foot.
"I thought you were better than this. You always had shown an ability to complete training. I don't know why you're like this. I mean, Yoko learned her technique in around ten hours. Of course, you're not Yoko, now are you?" He stopped, waiting. He heard an exclamation behind him, and the forcing of the transformation jutsu. He smiled.
Deidara, now completely spent, lay upon the grass, breathing heavily. That last technique would do the trick. However, it took so long to do it for him, it wouldn't be plausible to use. He sighed, gazing up into the sky at the clouds once more.
"I just need to find an opening, un!" Suddenly, a voice from down the hill shocked him into awareness.
"Deidara...I thought you were coming to dinner? It's almost seven. You're late. You know how my parents hate late arrivals." He smiled, tilting his head slightly as Yanoi walked into view. She got down on her hands and knees, staring into his blue eyes and smiling. "Come on, you still owe me for all that clay I've been getting you, remember?" Deidara grinned back, nodding his head.
"I know, Yanoi! I've been out here practicing my techniques, un!" She chuckled, leaning down and kissing him on the mouth before parting and getting up.
"Well, you can practice some more after dinner! My mom made a great salad tonight. Along with steak and potatoes, that is." She smiled as Deidara hopped off the ground. Turning, they both walked in the direction of the town, Deidara remembering old, past memories.
"Mom...what's for dinner tonight?" Deidara glanced at his mother.
"Why sweety...it's only the best tonight! Steak, potatoes, and salad of course. You need your greens!" He smiled, staring down into his plate of cold beans. A tear fell into them...but he didn't let his mother see.
"It's...a meal fit for a king, un!"
Deidara smiled as Yanoi took his hand, not caring about the tongue that lapped playfully at her palm. He wouldn't be having cold beans tonight...he could guarantee himself that much.
It was two days later that found Deidara again on the hill, his clay pouches brimming with unused material. He smiled, sticking his hands into his pouches, one either side. "Ok, let's get this done, un!" He waited as they lapped up the mixture, gently caressing it into working order. Then, as he had many times before, he poured chakra into it. It was an interesting sensation, putting chakra into the clay. He almost thought that it felt like a waterfall, cascading down. After he was done, he put the clay from both hands together, kneading it carefully. When he was through, he had his bird in his hands. He threw it in the air, bringing his hands together. It puffed up, becoming his bird.
"Ok, Mazai! Time to go!" He jumped up, landing skillfully on his mount as it took off into the air. He began a harrowing set of twists and turns, zigzagging once, and then shooting down through the blue back to the earth, leveling off and beginning another set of dizzying turns and climbs. After an hour, he was exhausted from using chakra to keep himself stable, but it had been worth figuring out the limitations of his bird. "Well done! Now, let's see something else!" He hopped off, turning around on his plummet to earth and putting his hands together. The bird exploded brilliantly, sending shards of hard clay rocketing around him. He smiled, putting his hands out and slowing himself. Grabbing onto one of the higher branches of the tree, he twirled, then jumped, landing gracefully on his feet.
"That was fun, un! But, I better not try that with anyone else. I don't think they would make it, un!" He remembered briefly the flight he and Yoko had taken, smiling back on the memory. She had been so scared, he had been almost sorry for her. Almost. He laughed to himself.
"Hn...showing emotion is for the weak!" Deidara stopped dead, turning slightly. Junio walked from the backside of the tree, coming to stand next to the boy, staring off into the distance.
"What the hell are you doing here, un?" Deidara couldn't keep the contempt out of his voice. Junio smiled, even allowing himself to laugh a little.
"I just want you to know...from deep down in my heart," he said, turning and putting his mouth near Deidara's ear. "From deep down in my very soul...I want you to know how much Yoko meant to me. She...screamed louder than anyone has ever screamed for me before!" Deidara wrenched away, hopping a little to stare at the youth once more.
"You sicken me, un! Get the hell out of here. We'll meet in the arena soon so I can wipe that sick smile off your stupid face!" Junio laughed, walking down the hill.
"Oh, don't worry, shorty! We'll meet in the arena. When we do, your fate will be the same as your idiot teammate's. I did feel sorry that she went so solitary. I think it would be nice for her to find her partner in the bottomless depths of hell." Then, he turned, staring sidelong at Deidara with the same, sick smile on his face. "Maybe I'll even be nice and hunt down your other teammate. Like you said in the arena, you three are a three man cell, right? Can't have one teammate alone...all three have to be there. HAHAHAHAHA!" Turning, he continued his trek downhill, leaving Deidara to shake with anger. It wasn't more then a minute after when Yanoi came hunting for him. Her touch brought him back to reality.
"Deidara-kun...are you alright? You're shaking." She grabbed his arm, feeling the vibrations in his body. It took a second, but soon he was back under control. He turned, smiling at her.
"No no...I'm fine, un! Now, what's up?" She smiled back at him, giving him a quick kiss before leading him off the hill.
"Come on! It's already dinner time! You've been up here for ages!" Deidara, confused, glanced up. The sun was already going down in the West, and he could see the twinkling of stars on the horizon. It hadn't felt like an entire day, but it was. He smiled, thinking of the progress he had made. Soon, that jerk Junio would find out what he had coming.
"Ok, you're getting it now...finally! Took you forever and a day, though!" Tazuriko gave his approval, staring at his subordinate, who was heaving.
"Hey...Tazuriko-sensei...can't we...take a break...now? We've been...going at it...for hours on end...and I'm exhausted!" Bushio sat heavily against a rock, trying to catch his wind. Tazuriko nodded.
"Sure, we can rest. Though, I don't think that that guy Junio allowed Yoko to rest...you know, before killing her?" He waited, and again was rewarded by the sound of hand-signs and grunts and groans.
Yah! Another chapter done! Next time on Deidara: The Early Years! The Genin meet in the arena for the beginning matches of the final tournament to decide who will stay and who will go! Don't miss the exciting times for our friends. Next Time: First Elimination! See you there, everyone! Oh, let me give you all a woot! 7400 views, thank you all kindly. LOVES YOU ALL SO MUCH! DOES HE PRECIOUS? YES MY PRECIOUS! LOVES REVIEWERS ALL HE DOES! Ok, no Lord of the Rings here...sorry