Deidara's Story
Clay Heart's Molded
Chapter 2: Freedom Fighters of Injustice
"Have to have some sort of light here. This just isn't going to work." For hours, the man next to Deidara had been fumbling about for a source of luminescence. Deidara had merely activated his ocular device with chakra, allowing him to see for a great distance in the extreme dark of a new moon night. Yodae, the Chief Guard, or as Deidara mused about, the Chief Annoyance, was fumbling blindly, unaware of anything about him.
"No...my left! No! Not...arg! Come this way...hold on!" Sitting the man down, Deidara sat near him, staring at his face in the pitch black night. "You know, you really should've told me that traveling in the dark wasn't your thing, un." The man smiled, shrugging.
"I know. I'm sorry. I thought that we would have at least a little light from the moon, seeing as how the moon was so full yesterday. Strange..." The man glared up, and Deidara followed his gaze upwards. The sky was full of bright, twinkling celestial bodies, all unaware of anything around them. Deidara sometimes wished that he could join them, but that wouldn't be kind to his art.
"Yes, it is strange. I am going to go and take a look around. Please wait here...and do not attempt to get up again, un. If you are injured, you will slow this mission down a great deal." Standing, Deidara brushed the dust and collected dirt off of his person, focusing chakra into his feet and jumping into the air. Catching the first branch, he jumped to the top of the tall tree, sitting down and enjoying the peace and solitude of the night. "This is quite relaxing, un. I should stay up here all night." He glanced around. In the distance, he spied the manor that they were coming to. Another two hours in the light of day and they would easily reach the destination, though he didn't understand why they couldn't just go now. If he led, and Yodae followed behind, it wouldn't be that hard of a concept.
"Anything up there, Deidara-san?" The man's voice from below made him grimace.
"No! Please go to sleep. I will keep watch tonight." Reaching into his pocket, he took a small, black pill from a pouch. Uncorking his canteen, he popped it into his mouth, swallowing some water along with it. He felt himself immediately tense. The soldier pill took but a minute to dissolve completely in the acid of his stomach, being sent through his body at a rate that staggered the mind. He felt his muscles constricting and contorting as new pathways were created for blood and chakra to flow through. Even though the effect was only temporary, he still smiled. "I hate the taste, love the sensation, un." Leaning back on the tree, he allowed his left leg to idly rock back and forth on the tree limb. Soon, his eyes were beginning to close, though after a soldier pill, he should have been quite alert.
"Hmm...yes...that's it...not now, Yanoi...no...hmmm..." His slight murmurings in his dreary half-sleep went undetected, the exception being an owl nearby. Its large, irridescent eyes peeped at him, and for a moment, he could have sworn it was Yanoi sitting there, teasing him to come to her. He smiled, reaching out a hand for his woman, before the bird screeched, pecking out. He recoiled, holding his bleeding appendage while glaring daggers at the winged animal. "Why'd you do that, un? You bastard!" He kicked out, sending the owl screeching off into the night. He watched it, smiling at his victory. His ocular device picked it out perfectly in the nighttime, and he contented himself with staring at it as it flew off in high bad humor. However, as it distanced itself, it began to become brighter...not just brighter, but more outlined. He stared quizzically at it as it flew farther away. Shutting off his device, he saw it plainly in the dim light. Not only did he see it plainly, but the manor as well. Nay, all the surrounding territory he saw. It was as if he were in the middle of a black field, surrounded on all sides by light.
"Wait...this can't be. How is this possible, un?" He glanced around him, staring at each and every landmark he could pick up. Then, the words of Yodae hit him like a brick. "...A little light from the moon, seeing as how it was full yesterday..." Deidara slapped his head. Of course, it was so obvious from the beginning. Reactivating his device, he hopped from the top of the towering giant, landing gracefully on the ground. As he heard the noise, Yodae awoke from his sleep.
"Deidara-san...what is it?" Deidara was instantly at his side, holding his hand to the man's mouth. He spoke nothing, only mouthed one word. Genjutsu. The man was staring at him widely. Only then did Deidara realize that the mouth on his right hand was probing around in the man's mouth with a sticky tongue. He quickly detached himself, shaking his hand in irritation. Had it not been so funny in a horribly bad situation, he would have allowed himself more of a laugh. However, he needed to think about what was happening.
"I don't think anyone know's our exact location. I can only hope..." he began in a whisper. He wasn't allowed to finish as three kunai streaked in from nowhere, one burying itself in his shoulder. He cried out involuntarily, grabbing the weapon and wrenching it from his body. He glared at it for a moment before realizing that an explosive note fizzled at the end of it. Dropping it to the ground, he grabbed the man next to him and rolled away, feeling the earth shake below him as the notes exploded. The shock wave carried him for two more rolls, setting him down heavily next to a large tree. He panted slightly, looking up into the clearing.
"Damn it...why doesn't anything have to be easy for me, un?" Hiding the man in the bushes, he smiled. "Don't come out, alright? I'll take care of this." The man nodded, fear plainly etched on his features. He was a guard, not a nin. He had no way to fight back against anything that he had already seen, not to mention what he might see. Getting up, Deidara turned, hopping into the tree on his left. His hands were already working on the clay he had fed them, and he pondered his next move as the insects around him buzzed. "Hmm...what's my next move? Let's see. He or they have me surrounded, I don't know where they are but they know where I am...and I have someone else to protect. Perfect! I'm all set, un!" He rolled his eyes at his own sarcasm, feeling the lump of clay press into his hand.
"Where did they go?" A man's voice, coming from their old site. Deidara grimaced, creeping low in the brush. I'll have to surprise them like this. A few clay birds and it will be all over from there.
"Get up. You're pathetic crawling about like this." Deidara stopped dead, turning slightly as the female voice floated to him. Two glowing yellow eyes moved about in the darkness, and suddenly, a hand grabbed his arm, thrusting him into the light of a lantern. The other man stopped, turning to smile at Deidara as the girl slowly plodded into the camp.
"Well done, Eesama-chan. Very well done indeed." Deidara scowled, turning only to gasp in surprise. What stood before him was a cat, a very large, lithe cat. Large fangs and sharp claws complimented it nicely as well, and it stuck its face straight into his.
"Well well, Deidara. So nice to see you again." Deidara smiled, bringing his hand up to stroke the cats chin.
"I almost didn't recognize you. So, how are you, Eesama-chan, un?" The cat seemed to smile before walking back a distance and releasing the jutsu. What stood in its place was a woman, medium build, her long, brown hair flowing gently behind her.
"Hehe...who would've known it was you we were tracking, Deidara-kun. Tell me, how is that woman you're seeing now. Yanoi, was it?" Deidara smiled, lifting himself off the ground.
"Yeah yeah. She's fine, un. How are you getting along out here? Didn't the Tsuchikage-sama send you guys on a mission not to long ago?" The girl smiled, walking up and placing a finger on his chest as she leaned up to his face.
"Yeah, he did. But, you know us. Always taking the slow route with everything." Deidara smiled, lowering his face to hers.
"Well, you know me. I never did like doing that, un." She smiled back luxuriously, giving him a small lick on the nose. He recoiled, wiping at it with a free-hand. "You know, I hate it when you do that." She laughed, a high, tinkling noise that spread throughout the forest.
"I know. That's why I did it." Another crash in the underbrush alerted Deidara back to the present. He quickly drew a kunai as another man walked up, throwing a much shaken Yodae on the ground.
"Found this one cowering in the bushes somewhere." He bent down, smiling at the man. "Wouldn't want you to get all lost, would we? Hahahaha!" Throwing back his head and laughing, he went to join the other two.
"Hmm...an interesting lot you have now, Deidara. Tell me, what is it you are doing passing through here?" Deidara sighed, kicking the prostrate form of Yodae as he sat down.
"Stop blubbering, you fool. They aren't going to hurt you, un." Thus, he began his tale from the beginning, telling the three everything. When he was done, they nodded knowingly.
"Yes. That is true. The girl is locked in her room right now. She refuses to see anyone at the moment, and two guards have already been seriously injured by her when they go near. I'm telling you, she's feisty, that one." Eesama turned to her compatriot, who nodded sagely.
"They say that women who are mad are also quite determined. A man cannot make the mind of a woman up before she has made his up for him beforehand." Deidara scratched his head, laying down.
"You talk in riddles, my good sir. I don't really know what that is supposed to mean, but tell me, do we have any trouble waiting for us on the path there, un?" The woman smiled, closing her eyes as she shook her head.
"No. You won't have any problems. Once you skirt the forest and get back to the road, you'll be fine. We had heard of the Red Hand having some dealings in this area, so we came to check it out. We never found anything worth mentioning." Deidara nodded.
"Right, the Red Hand. Tell me, Eesama-chan. Who is your target?" The woman smiled once again.
"The leader. You know the old proverb, right? Cut the head off the snake and the rest of the snake dies? Well, we're going after the head. After he's dead, the rest will fall like dominoes." She drew out a kunai, flicking it into the bush and spearing a small vermin running up its base. She smiled as she walked to it, withdrawing the kunai and flicking the creature into her mouth. Deidara grimaced as he watched the tail disappear into her maw. Chewing thoughtfully, she walked back into camp, her kunai resting inside her pouch once more.
"You know, that is really sick, un." She laughed as she swallowed.
"What? That? I'm sorry. I guess I should have warned you about the after-affects of my jutsu. Great for stealth, horrible for the stomach. I can't wait to get some decent food inside me." She huffed slightly as she sat down.
"Well, I suppose we should be going. Hey, Hiran! You wanna release the genjutsu on these two so they can get back to work?" The taller of the two men, Hiran, smiled as he nodded, putting his hands together and dispelling the jutsu. It had masked the entire surrounding area, leaving it void of light. Now, as it was dispelled, the moon came back into focus, and they could clearly see all around. Deidara sighed as he cut the chakra to his ocular item.
"That's a bit better, I think." Yodae relished in the moonlight, turning his head slightly to encompass everything. "We're only an hour or so away. We should probably be moving." Deidara nodded, standing.
"Well, this has been fun, but we have a mission to get on with, and so, if you don't mind..."
"No...we don't mind at all...puppets!" All five turned as one as a single man appeared from the shade of a tall tree. "Thank you ever so much for dispelling that jutsu of yours. We were just going to wait for our own genjutsu master to do it, but this works just as well." The man laughed slightly as another appeared on his right.
"You...soldiers of destruction! Lay down your arms and sit on the ground! We have you surrounded, so there is no point resisting!" Other hoots and howls of derision began to pour in, and Deidara glanced over at Eesama, who was busy with her feline eyes, tracking and scouting out the surrounding darkness.
"Who are you? What do you want?" Deidara took a step forward as he addressed the newcomer. He smiled as he held a hand up, one finger pointed to the sky.
"We are the Red Hand, freedom fighters of the Iwagakure contingent. We bring happiness, joy, and laughter to those who have had the yoke of oppression brought down upon them. As I said before, you are surrounded, so trying anything is pointless." Deidara grimaced as a kunai flew in on his right, landing in the soil. He tried to make out the one who had thrown, but nothing was there.
"Hm...Red Hand, huh? Perfect! That means that we won't have to hunt you down anymore. I am Deko Mihoto, the leader of this group. You are all under arrest!" The man he was addressing merely smiled, cocking his head back to gaze at Deko through half-lidded eyes.
"Hehehe...you, arrest us? That's rich! Right! I suppose that we should start things off here then, eh?" Bringing his hands together, he began making hand-signs as Deko began making his own. On Deidara's right, Eesama had already bounded into the bushes, a tail sprouting from her backside and her claws and fangs beginning to show. The cat was on the hunt!
"Suiton: Soukou Amekaze No Jutsu!" Bringing his hands together, the lead nin smiled as a large cloud began forming over the entire glade. That cloud...there is chakra in it. I can feel it...this is incredible! Hopping backwards, Deidara safely reached the shelter of a large, awning tree as a storm of rain was unleashed upon the scene. It drove down in buckets, pummeling the earth. Deidara chanced a finger out into the deluge, but quickly recoiled as a single drop hit it. He gazed at it interestedly as drops of blood ran from it.
"Hm...interesting jutsu, un." Bringing his own hands back, he began forming a clay creation.
"You won't get far with this rain pouring down like it is." His eyes flashed to the left as a feline dropped down into his hiding place. As her catlike form disappeared, she smiled at him. "I've seen your bombs before, Deidara. They won't get far. This rain will detonate them before they have a chance to work." Deidara smiled, waiting. Out in the deluge, the now three nin were scouting the area, searching for their prey.
"Come out! This rain will fall non-stop until you are found! How long do you think you can withstand this rain? Even the forest will be destroyed under the rain of justice! Come out!" Still busy searching, they walked past the hiding place that held Eesama and Deidara.
"How are they able to walk about in this downfall, un?" The girl chuckled lightly.
"It seems the one that started it has control over where it falls. He must use his chakra to control the actions of the clouds, focusing the main body of water to different parts of it, leaving others free. He can walk about while we get pounded into flat, microscopic little pancakes." Deidara grunted.
"Thanks for your commentary, un. How are we supposed to beat this?" The girl again laughed.
"Remember what I said, Deidara...cut the head off, and the body dies." Deidara pondered on that.
"Cut the head off...body dies...head off...body dies..." The girl again laughed. The man was so easy to confuse, it was pathetic.
"Take out the nin, and the rain stops. Get it?" Deidara finally understood, nodding slightly. He looked out again into the rain, watching the nins on the far side of the field.
"I hope Yodae is alright...I was counting on that money for later, un," Deidara grumbled, mostly to himself. Eesama turned to him, a smile on her lips.
"Is that all you're in it for? The money?" Deidara scoffed.
"What else would I be in it for?" A small twinkle in the girl's eyes told him all. She didn't live for the money. Nor did she live for her team. She lived for the kill. She was more feline than even she would admit. Killing was what a shinobi did, and she was one of the best that Iwagakure had to offer.
"Well, I guess that I should start in again. See you later, Deidara." She made a small hand-sign, her face already beginning to point into a more feline one. With a graceful leap, she made it safely into the cover of the trees as the torrential rain continued to drive rivets into the earth. Hearing a groan from behind, Deidara glanced up at his hiding place. The rain was already beginning to destroy the ancient tree, ripping large pieces of bark off of its hide and raining them down at him. He dodged one that fell in front of him, and he cursed slightly as he felt another hit him on the head.
"This isn't working. I need to figure out something to do, un!" He pondered the question, getting into a sitting position underneath what remained of the tree. The rain still pounded down barely a foot in front of him, all the time getting closer and closer. Suddenly, he smiled, getting up. "Yeah. Now to work." Releasing his clay, he began chewing more, waiting for the inevitable. A large piece of the tree, having been half broken already, suddenly snapped, tumbling to the ground. He smiled up at it as it fell, leaping underneath and catching it deftly. "Best umbrella I've ever used."
"Suiton: Amekaze Arashi No Jutsu!" Deidara sighed as, to his right, a large, spiraling wave of water erupted, threatening to engulf him. As it sped closer, he smiled, placing the wood in front of him. He felt the rain still falling, driving him down as the vortex of water hit the piece of wood. It splintered, but didn't break, instead redirecting the wave up and over him, replacing the wood as a shield. Deidara grunted as he walked forward, keeping the wood in front of him at all times. It was still splintering, but not enough to worry him. Every step forward brought him closer to his destination, and finally, the drenching wave stopped. He smiled as he brought his wood back over his head, staring across the expanse at the rogue nin, who was sneering at him.
"Hehehe...using a piece of wood against the rain, hm? Nice. However, it won't save you. Nothing will save you from the inevitable downfall of your precious, egotistic society!" He brought his hands back to his chest as he began making more hand-signs.
"Think fast!" Whipping the wood around like a frisbee, Deidara let fly, than ran after it, keeping pace just underneath the rotating disk. The nin, startled, jumped back to avoid being hit. Deidara smiled, raising a hand and releasing a bird of clay that he had been keeping. The bird shot forward, keeping underneath the wood as Deidara quickly hopped to the right, ducking down underneath a fallen log. The nin had hopped forward enough to be safe from the wood, and it ground to a halt in front of him. He smiled as Deidara brought his hands together. "Katsu!" The wood exploded, allowing the bird to fly through harmlessly. The spider that Deidara had thought to put on the wood beforehand had really come in handy. Taken unawares, the nin hopped backwards as wood splinters shot forward. He cried out as they pierced his skin, and he hobbled slightly, looking up in time to see the avian attack directly in front of him. "Katsu!" The bird expanded slightly, exploding beautifully and sending the nin flying into a tree, knocking his breath from his body and tumbling him to the ground. He coughed, hacking up blood, as the rain began to pound his body. No longer able to concentrate the rain with his chakra, he was being beaten mercilessly by his own jutsu. Quickly, he turned over, expelling the jutsu before he was completely killed by it.
"Hmm...who is the one on the ground now, un?" Taking a step forward, Deidara smiled down at the man, who grimaced up at him.
"You...you fascist bastard!" Deidara smiled, reaching down and grabbing the pouch the man wore at his side.
"Well, you won't mind if this 'fascist bastard' takes your pouch...and your money, if you have any, un?" Reaching into the pouch, he pulled the contents out, lying them on the ground. "Oh ho! What's this then?" He produced a small scroll, opening it and reading the contents. "Hmm...an attack on Iwagakure? Interesting. It wouldn't work, of course." The nin looked up, spitting at Deidara's feet.
"Why the hell wouldn't it? We're a lot stronger than you think!" Deidara smiled down at him again, kneeling and placing a hand on his cheek.
"True...but you forget one thing. I live in Iwagakure, and I will defend my home with my life, un!" Getting up, he stretched leisurely. A small thump behind him made him turn sluggishly around, and he smiled as Eesama placed a well bound prisoner down on the ground.
"Well, that's one more, I suppose. I wonder..." she began. However, she was answered as another man was placed on the ground next to hers, also well bound.
"Found this one taking shelter from the rain. Hehehe...little rain ain't bothered no one yet!" Hiran smiled, placing a foot on his nin. The man groaned slightly, and Hiran pressed harder. "Oh shut up! You'll be groaning even louder when our interrogator is getting information from you! Hehehe..." Deidara balked inwardly at the horrendous looking wounds that Hiran had suffered. His body was covered in large welts, and some were bleeding bright crimson through his shirt. However, he didn't seem bothered by it, so Deidara let it pass.
"Well, I couldn't find anyone else out there. I suppose it was a Bunshin No Jutsu they used to create all the voices from before," said Deko, walking up from behind the group. Deidara smiled, turning with a raised hand.
"How are you, Deko? I hadn't actually gotten the chance to ask." Deko smiled, giving him a hand to shake. Deidara started for a moment as the arm detached, leaving him with Deko's appendage.
"Well, the old arm is still as wooden as ever, but it does come in handy. Tazuriko-sensei has taught me many things for that arm to do. Amazing what I can accomplish with that." Deidara laughed slightly, handing the arm back as Deko infused it with more chakra to keep it in place.
"So...I guess that's it. We should be going now. Have to take these three back to Iwa to question. They shouldn't last the day." Eesama grabbed the leader, allowing the other two to pick theirs. Turning, they began drifting off into the early morning light, leaving Deidara in the clearing alone.
"Well...that was a good waste of time. I wonder what I should do now..."
"Is...is it over?" Deidara's eyebrow rose slightly as he turned to see Yodae crawl from underneath a bush, glancing wearily around.
"Yeah, it's over. Come out, you big chicken! Geez, some guard you are, un!" Helping the man to his feet, he brushed him off.
"Well, what do you expect from me? That's why we hired you, to deal with bandits like that! Now that I have seen you in action, I can guarantee the princess that she'll be in good hands." Deidara shook his head as they began walking off in the direction of the manor.
"Why do you call her a princess? She wasn't born into royalty, just into luck." The man shrugged as he holstered his sword.
"It's what they say I should say. I expect you to address her as such. It is better to call her princess than have to find another job." Deidara huffed slightly as they emerged from the tree cover onto a small, rickety looking old road.
"Perhaps you should find another job if you dislike this one, un." Yodae laughed lightly.
"Perhaps. But, this pays well, and I do like to hang out in the barracks. Some of the best news goes through the barracks, you know. Kind of like a water cooler, though without the water. Hehehe..." He cackled slightly at his own joke. Deidara merely held his peace, staring up the road to where the manor loomed in the distance.
"Hope this is worth my trouble, un." The guard laughed again, stealing a side-ways glance at the man next to him.
"Don't worry. If everything turns out right, than you should have plenty of money after this ordeal. It shall be well worth your trouble, believe me." Deidara nodded, walking forward with a new energy. The money would be well worth it...especially if it bought the ring that he had an eye on for Yanoi.
His mind wandered as they traveled the remaining distance. Mostly, it stayed on Yanoi, who was always lying on his bed, waiting for him to come home, enticing him with her female guiles. He smiled slightly. However, through the haze of his mind, other thoughts began to register. A home, burning to the ground. A woman lying on the cold grass, bleeding. A town of angry villagers. A face...a face that he couldn't recall. At times, late at night, he had wanted to recall that face. He couldn't remember who or where she was. He remembered her kindness, which had imprinted itself on him. However, nothing else about her remained. But...that face.
He smiled, drifting back to Yanoi. Best not to worry about dreams. Best to worry about what one has, not what one thinks they want.
Suiton: Soukou Amekaze No Jutsu – Water release: Driving Armored Rain Technique
Suiton: Amekaze Arashi No Jutsu – Water release: Driving Tempest Technique
Bunshin No Jutsu – Clone Technique
Next Time: Deidara meets his ward, but an unfortunate reality keeps him from his mission. Next chapter: Haunting Past, Poisoned Mind