Deidara had already arrived in the arena as Bushio descended the staircase. Taking one last look over his shoulder at Junio, sitting on the railing and grinning down, he sighed. Fighting his friend and teammate had been something he had wanted to avoid as much as possible. Turning towards the yellow-haired boy opposite him, Bushio grunted.

"Deidara, listen up!" Deidara frowned slightly, but held his peace. Bushio took a deep breath before going on. "Listen, I want you to forfeit." Deidara gasped. Forfeit? What the hell was Bushio talking about?

"Forfeit? Why, un?" Bushio grimaced slightly. He had though that Deidara would be against the idea.

"Listen, I don't want to lose anyone else. If you fought Junio...and..." A tear rolled down his face as he pictured two tombstones, one next to the other, one for Yoko, and one for Deidara. "I...I couldn't live with myself. So I'm asking you. As a friend. Please...please just forfeit." Deidara began to tear up as well. So, Bushio really did care for him. Even if he was rude sometimes, and egotistical, and self-centered. In his heart, Bushio was just as kind as...his mother had been. Deidara wiped a tear from his face, gazing down at the ground.

"You know, all my life...all my life I have been treated like garbage. I've been kicked, beaten, called names, and trampled on. No one saw me for me, un. No one gave a damn for me!" His tears began falling, and Bushio watched as the boy straightened, wiping his eyes for the last time. "But, this is different. My mother...Yoko...you. We're all like family, and I am not going to let my family down, un!" He stuck a hand into his pocket, feeling his mouths beginning to lap up the clay. "No...I am going to protect everyone I hold dear. That means you to, Bushio!" Bushio inhaled sharply. No one had ever called him family. Even at home, his parents and his sister mostly kept to themselves. Dinner was a silent affair, and hardly anyone spoke. No one really cared about anyone else. But...Deidara. He was family to Deidara?

"Deidara, don't be stupid! Forfeit! Just do it already. Let me fight in the final round! I can make that asshole pay for Yoko!" Deidara shook his head grimly, still processing the clay in his hands.

"No way. You'll have to fight me for it. Besides, I wouldn't want you to go and do something stupid...like get killed, un!" Taking his hands out of his pockets, he looked down, smiling slightly as his hands chewed the clay. His right spit out the hunk of material into his hands, and he molded it, folding it in and out carefully. "Each time I make a sculpture, it is always with care. Love almost. The love that I feel for my art will protect you," Deidara said, quietly to himself. Looking up, he saw Bushio grab out a kunai, wielding it.

"Deidara...don't make me fight you!" Deidara smiled, nodding.

"Sorry, but that's exactly what you'll have to do, un!" Both stood their ground, still waiting for the beginning of the match. The Examiner nodded, looking up.

"The first semi-final match, Bushio Mesakumi versus Deidara. Let the match...BEGIN!" He let his arms drop, and the match officially began!

In the stands, Yanoi watched with anticipation. Both of the traders in front of her were talking, still in the process of betting.

"No way! That kid has no chance against that Bushio fellow. I'll wager another five hundred on him to win!" The trader on the right smiled.

"I'll take that bet. In fact, let's make it an even thousand. What do you say?" The other man agreed, and they shook hands on it. Yanoi stuck her head down, glaring at the one on the left.

"Remember, we still have a bet! Two thousand, remember?" The trader smiled, looking down into the arena.

"Yes, I know. Remember, our bet states that Junio will win this tournament. However, you lose if your competitor loses here." Yanoi grimaced, looking down to where Deidara stood.

"Don't worry, he won't lose. My Dei-kun won't ever lose. Not to anyone!"

"Deidara...please. This is the last time I'll say it. Give up! Don't waste your energy!" Bushio had really wanted Deidara to forfeit. In so doing, he would save valuable chakra for later, adding to the chakra that he would need against Junio, if it came to that. Deidara stood his ground.

"No way. I won't forfeit. I'll protect you and everyone else, even if I have to beat you to a pulp to do it, un!" He dropped his clay, making a hand-sign. It puffed up, forming his bird. He hopped onto its back, and it took off into the sky, circling around the arena. Bushio looked up, glaring.

"Damn him! Why won't he just listen to reason?" He took off, hopping up one of the pillars and going to the higher levels. At the top, he stopped, watching Deidara as the boy began making more creations with his left hand. "I guess I'll have to take him out. It won't be easy, and it definitely won't be enjoyable." Grabbing a kunai from his pocket, he flung it skyward, watching as Deidara swooped gracefully away. Bushio sighed. "Well, I better finish this fast, then." Making hand-signs as fast as he could, he created six stone clones from the arena roof. As one, they each threw down a smoke bomb, concealing their movements from anyone watching. Deidara glanced down.

"Hmm...smoke bombs, huh? Well, what to do now?" Suddenly, a hail of kunai flew skyward, and Deidara gasped. Winging his bird around, he dodged the kuani expertly, shooting left, then unfurling his wings and drifting up, then diving down to avoid another projectile. Soon, the storm of weapons had cleared, and the smoke bomb that was left was still hanging like a wraith over the arena. Deidara grinned, taking out his clay and forming it into a small bird, sending it winging into the smoke. Throwing his hands up, it exploded, dispelling the smoke and creating a hole in the roof. The audience members screamed as chunks of falling debris began raining down at them. Deidara bit his lip, until Chunin rushed out, knocking the pieces away and saving the spectators from any serious injury. "Wow...that was close, un! Maybe I shouldn't do that anymore." However, he watched the spot, expecting to see Bushio standing there. Sure enough, the boy stood in the middle of the hole, looking up at him. Deidara grinned, already hard at work on another creation.

"You shouldn't leave yourself unguarded!" Deidara gasped, turning as a fist hit him in the face. He stumbled backwards, landing with an awkward thump and looking up at Bushio, who smiled down at him. His bird began hovering, allowing the boy to rise up again.

"How did you get up here, un?" Bushio smiled.

"Turned myself into another kunai when I did that smoke cloud. Had a clone throw me up here, and I transformed back when you stopped to drop that bird. Clever, huh?" Deidara smiled, getting up and feeling his cheek.

"Yeah. Well done, un! ARRRG!!!" Throwing himself at the boy, they began rolling around, punching and kicking on the very limited platform of Deidara's clay bird. It swayed with the moving weight as both boys fell to with earnest. Leaping back up, they began duking it out, throwing punches crazily. Deidara took a punch to the nose and one grazed his face as he fought back gamely, inflicting a black eye on the taller boy. Then, with a roar, Deidara threw himself forward, knocking them both from the bird and sending them spiraling towards the ground.

"Oh no! This could be bad. Both of 'em are falling. Would you look at that?" The trader on the right nudged the one on the left. "I think I may owe you money after this one." The trader on the left sniggered.

"Yeah, probably will!" Turning around, he smiled at Yanoi as the girl stood, nailed to the spot with fear. "I think I'll be winning that bet here soon, little girl." Yanoi tore her attention away from the two falling objects to address him.

"No way! My Deidara-kun will think of something. He...he just has to!" Turning her gaze back to the sky, she held her breath.

Still plummeting like rocks, both boys stared at the ground as it rushed up to meet them. "This is all your fault!" Bushio glared over at Deidara, who glared back.

"Me? Why is this my fault?"

"You should have just given up! Then, we wouldn't be in this predicament!" Deidara scoffed.

"Who's in this predicament. I'm just watching you fall. You should probably do something, un!" With that, he spun around, throwing his hand out. As he did so, his bird dove down, and he caught its leg, allowing it to stop his fall. Bushio, however, wasn't so lucky. He plummeted down, falling at a horrible speed towards the ground. He shut his eyes, waiting for the moment when he would plaster himself to the dirt. However, he felt himself yanked roughly up, opening his eyes and staring at a ground that was less than two meters away. Astonished, he looked up, seeing Deidara grinning down at him with his impudent smile.

"I wouldn't let you fall like that. What do you think I am? Junio, un?" Bushio smiled back at him as the crowd cheered wildly. Lowering the other boy to the ground, Deidara hopped off, patting his bird. Bushio stumbled away, turning to look at the yellow-haired boy and his bird.

"He's...he's much stronger than I thought he'd be." He put his hands up into a hand-sign, but stopped. Deidara turned his head, grim determination written there.

"So, what else you got, un?" However, Bushio wasn't answering. He swayed for a second, watching as stars and lights flashed in and out of his vision.

"What? What...what is happening to me?" He went to one knee, regurgitating the meager fare he had eaten in the waiting room onto the ground. A whisper began going around the arena as he stood shakily, his eyes half-closed. Deidara glared over at him.

"Is this a joke? If it is, I'm not buying it, un!" He began making another clay creation as Bushio went to his knees, and then to his face, lying down in the dirt. Now, indecision gave way to concern as Deidara gasped, running over to where Bushio lay.

"Bushio? Bushio! What is it, un?" Bushio smiled, seeing colors melding altogether in his vision. His words slurred as he spoke, and an unearthly fire erupted behind his eyes.

"I...I dun know, Deidara. I felt...fine. I..." The Examiner walked over, looking down at Bushio as the boy lay on the ground. Grabbing his face, he peered into the boys eyes, lifting an eyelid and looking into it.

"This boy has a concussion. He's done fighting for now." He got up, signaling two medic nin to come and take the boy away. Looking up to the crowd, he held his hands up.

"Ladies and gentlemen. Due to technical difficulties, the winner of this match is...Deidara!" The crowd erupted into cheers, and Deidara walked away from the arena, standing alongside the stretcher they were using to escort Bushio out.

"I...musta hit...my head harder than I...thought." Bushio could hardly remember the fight with Maey, but he did recall his head slamming into the roof of the arena when Maey had appeared from the ground.

"Don't worry, Bushio. We'll get you fixed up. We will...won't we, un?" He glanced at a medic nin, who smiled, nodding.

"Yeah, it's just a concussion. We'll have him fixed up in no time. Nothing major." Deidara heaved a sigh of relief, looking down at Bushio.

"How you feeling, un?" Bushio smiled, looking up at him.

"I feel...floaty!" Deidara smiled, almost laughing. Bushio looked up at him once more, serious and cold. "Deidara...whatever happens. Fight that Junio guy. Beat him. Make...make him pay!" Deidara nodded as the medic nins took Bushio away, putting a panting hand up as if Bushio would see it.

"Don't worry, un. I will."