Deidara's Story
Clay Heart's Molded
Chapter 3: Haunting Past, Poisoned Mind
It was quite some time before the pair arrived at the mansion. As Deidara stood while Yodae went to rouse the house, he took in the spread of the land. High, sloping hills protected the backside, while large, thick groves of high forest trees protected the front and sides. Walls were built around the outside perimeter of the place, and he smiled slyly as he took in the construction.
"Hmm...they made a mistake when building these walls. They are made from a porous material, one that isn't so strong, un. A small bomb would crumble an entire portion of this wall." Of course, he reckoned to himself that the walls were merely a show of prestige. Any decent ninja would scale them in a moment, thereby rendering them useless from the get-go. "It is a nice thought, at any rate, un." Kicking a pebble in his path, he made his way to the side of the mansion, staring up at the walls of the building. It was made entirely of granite and stone. Hardly any part of it was made of wood. Simple and effective if one was trying to keep out intruders, or stopping the outside of the place from being burned. However, the intricacies of a stone building left many things to chance. In the summer, the area surrounding Iwagakure was much hotter than other areas, so living in a house of stone would sizzle those inside. On the converse, the winter would be much colder than in a house of wood, which would be naturally insulated.
"They must have enough money to have some sort of a heating element in this place, un. Otherwise, anyone would have seen the folly of such a house and reconstructed it accordingly." He placed a hand along the outer wall, smiling at the texture.
"Ah! Deidara-kun! Very good, we have permission to enter!" Yodae walked up, escorted by three other guards, all of whom saluted him. He smiled, nodding slightly at the reserves as he and the lead guard took the forefront, walking back to the entrance of the domicile and entering. It was strange to come from the outside forest into a house such as this. Large pillars of stone arose from the floor, propping up the ceiling and surrounding floors. The floor itself was almost unseen for the amount of carpet that was strewn about. Rich colors, reds and oranges, splashed the walls in paintings and murals. Deidara whistled slightly as he examined the frame of one painting. It was inset ivory, expensive and delicate, inlaid with rubies and small diamonds. The frame itself was probably worth more than fifty paintings of the like.
"His Majesty will see you in his chambers," Yodae said, signaling the other guards to leave. Deidara nodded slightly, walking up behind him. Inwardly, he was shaking with mirth. The man who thought himself a king because of his money. It was good that Kage's weren't like that. Any number of weak shinobi with a wad of money would rule, making each ninja territory that much weaker. He shook his head at the paintings on the walls as they continued down the corridor. They were of the same man, each one as flattering as the last. Different poses, possibly trying to show off some sort of good side. Deidara shook his head imperceptibly so that Yodae wouldn't catch it. From the looks of the house, the man was a blow-hard, and probably expected the same respect one would pay to a feudal lord.
"Deidara-kun...it is my honor and privilege to introduce you to his highness, Lord Pokup. Lord, this is the shinobi you requested." The man beside him bowed, but Deidara didn't feel like boosting the ego of anyone at the moment, so he remained standing. A sharp hiss next to him made him glance down. "Deidara-kun, please kneel." Deidara laughed slightly underneath his breath.
"No, that's quite alright. I'll stand, un." Yodae grimaced slightly as Deidara beheld the man in front of him. He was sitting on something reminiscent of a throne, smiling down upon the both of them. Next to him lay an empty seat, so Deidara reasoned that the lady of the house wasn't around.
"Ah...so, this is the shinobi, hm? Why do you not bow to me, sir shinobi? Do they not teach you customs in the place you reside?" Deidara shrugged.
"They do. However, they teach you to bow when you behold someone who is superior. As I have not met you yet, sir, I cannot say that you are superior to me. Therefore, proper shinobi conduct dictates that I need not bow to you. You are a client, and I am a customer, true, un. But, I will not bow." The man was silent for a moment, and Yodae looked up nervously.
"You shouldn't have done that, Deidara-kun. He is known to have...fits of anger." Deidara shrugged again at the hushed comment, merely watching the man. Suddenly, he sprang to his feet, pointing at Deidara in an angered fashion.
"You dare talk this way to me? Guards!" Four guards rushed into the room, each holding a spear out. Spreading out around Deidara, they pointed their weapons at him, level with his torso. He merely shrugged.
"Sir, if you wish to lose four guards, I cannot stop you from commanding them to attack me. However, be forewarned that proper shinobi law dictates that I have the right to kill not only your guards, but you as well after you violate the contract." There was a moment of hushed indecision by the lord on the dais, as if he were trying to decipher the words Deidara had just said. What a complete fool. However, he waved his hand, sending his guards back. Of course, proper shinobi law dictated nothing of the sort, but seeing as how the man knew little to nothing of shinobi law, he wasn't about to educate him.
"Be it known, shinobi. You are on thin ice right now. Please pay more attention to what is happening around you, and bow when you are near me." Deidara smiled.
"My lord, I am a shinobi. I always pay attention to my surroundings. It is you who doesn't." Then, without another word, a kunai was placed against the throat of the man on the chair. He gulped, turning to look into an opalescent blue eye next to him. Deidara smiled casually as he whispered slightly into the man's ear. "Know this, if I detect any treason in this matter, I will call this mission off. Do not hesitate to think that I will not." With another gulp, the man nodded.
"Um...understood, sir shinobi. I apologize for my immediate rudeness." Evidently satisfied, Deidara replaced the kunai into his belt, walking back towards Yodae and releasing his bunshin, which disappeared with a flourish of smoke. "You must realize, I have many enemies in this region. I had to be sure that you could be trusted with my daughter's life before I just hand her over to you." Deidara smiled politely as he turned.
"Be sure, your grace. Once I start a mission, it is fulfilled without question. However, I do not like being toyed with, so speak your piece now." The man nodded, clearing his throat.
"Right. Well, you see. My daughter is engaged to a man on the far side of the Stone Country. This man leads a small army, along with a few small towns that are under his control. They pay him taxes, and he protects them in turn. However, the trip is dangerous. As you are well aware of, I am sure, the Red Hand has multiple dealings in this area, and I am sure they would be delighted to kidnap the daughter of someone as influential as I am."
"Sir, about that! Deidara-kun here has defeated three Red Hand operatives already. I have seen it. He was...he was amazing, my lord." Yodae stepped forward slightly, motioning to the man on his right. Deidara smiled. It was good to have others compliment you on how well you fight.
"Is that so? Well, then indeed I owe you another debt of gratitude, Deidara. That is three less Red Hand rabble that I have to deal with. So, getting down to business. You will be paid the order of four-hundred thousand yen at the end of this." The Lord waited until Deidara had figured that out. Four-hundred thousand? With that, he could retire...well, maybe not retire. But that would buy a ring for Yanoi...and a better place than the Tsuchikage's tower to call home. "You will be paid on arrival at the other side of the country. The Lord and myself have already arranged for it." Deidara nodded, his smile plastered on his face. The Tsuchikage had told him that the money would be good...but not extravagant. He should take B-Rank missions more often.
"Very good, my Lord. Now, what are the specifics of this mission?" The man laughed slightly, motioning for a steward on his right to come forward. He did so, bringing with him a parchment sheet and a scroll.
"This is a map of the country, as drawn by some of the best renderer's that money can buy. This scroll contains information for the Lord himself, so that is of little import to you. The map you may take and use, and afterwards, you may keep it. I am sure that it will be valuable to you later on." Deidara nodded, taking the map and scroll the steward brought him. "As for other specifics, you will be escorted by a contingent of a score of guards, each armored and prepared for an attack. My daughter will ride in a carriage. It is your task to prevent disaster from occurring along the trip. Understood?"
"As clear as clay, your grace." Deidara bowed slightly. The man smiled. The shinobi was learning, after all.
"Now, is there anything you will need on this trip? I wish for you to be well equipped before you leave." Deidara stood straight, thinking about it.
"Well, I could use some more clay, my lord. About two bushels would be fine. Just in case." The man nodded, beckoning to a man on his left.
"Go find Deidara-kun two bushels of clay. Hurry, and do not be all day about it." The man bowed, turning and walking from the chamber. "Anything else, shinobi?" Deidara smiled.
"Just some food. I'm famished." Lord Pokup smiled, clapping his hands as two more men entered the chamber.
"You and you! Bring food! Bring wine! Tonight, we celebrate, for my daughter is to be wed soon!" The men smiled, nodding and bowing furiously before exiting. Smiling widely, the man got up from his chair, walking down and shaking Deidara's hand. "You will have united the Stone Country, my boy. For that, you will be well rewarded." Deidara continued to smile as his hand was wrung. Soon, they were all eating a fine banquet, prepared by many chefs. Of course, it was more food than Deidara could even begin to stomach, but he was assured that the leftovers would go to the guard, so he didn't question it. He smiled down at his plate. Fugu...something that he hadn't eaten for...quite a while.
After he had eaten his fill, he stood, smiling and yawning. Lord Pokup stood as well, signaling another two.
"You two. Prepare a room for the shinobi, where he can rest for the night. Tomorrow, the journey begins." The two saluted and bowed, going to do his bidding. He smiled at the blond man. "You can rest well tonight, Deidara-kun. Tomorrow is a big day." Deidara smiled back, bowing properly this time.
"Thank you, your grace. I will retire then, un." Turning, he began to walk from the chamber...until his head began to swim. "What...what is this?" He brought his hand up, seeing a double image. "What is...what is happening to me, un?" He swayed slightly, then went to one knee. "I...I must have eaten...far faster than I thought, un." Struggling to rise, he went to his other knee, holding his head which threatened to roll from his shoulders. "This...this isn't natural. What...what is this?"
"Deidara-kun. What is it?" Yodae was at his left, holding his arm. Pokup was at his right, staring down curiously.
"Do all shinobi act this way after meals?" He bent down, gazing at Deidara, who by now was having trouble with his breath. "Hmm...seems to me that he is much more tired than I gave reckon of." Then, an intense pain throbbed in his shoulder. He cried out, clutching at his body as waves of wracking pain throbbed through his person. Suddenly, it hit him like a shuriken.
He and Yodae...out in the woods. He had figured out the genjutsu...and then...a kunai! The one that hit his shoulder, the one with the explosive note. It must have been thrown by Eesama-chan...
Eesama-chan always used poison on her weapons!
"Poi...poison!" Deidara slumped to the floor, barely able to breath as he began to shake.
"Poison? My food isn't tainted, shinobi! This is outrageous!" Yodae shook his head at his Lord's outburst, and fumbled with his knife. Deidara was still clutching his shoulder as the man cut his shirt apart, staring down with disdain at the massively infected wound in Deidara's flesh.
"Sir, Deidara was hit by a nin weapon during our battle in the forest. This is the wound...and I believe the weapon was poisoned." Picking Deidara up off the floor, he began to stagger towards the room set up for him. "You! Go get a medic. Hurry!" A man saluted, running off as Yodae continued to stagger out with his burden. Deidara wretched violently, spilling the contents of his meal onto the stone floor. With that, he dropped into unconsciousness as the poison began filtering through his body. Pokup stared ruefully at the two as they exited the room, leaving him with the company of a few shocked waiters and servants. He turned, pointing to one of the maids.
"You! Clean that up, won't you?" With that, he left the room, muttering to himself about shinobi and their horrible table manners.
It was the next day that Deidara re-awoke. He lay in a soft, downy bed. He felt the furs over him, but he had hardly any sensation in his skin. It was as if he had been lying on a bed of ice for hours on end. No part of him was reacting to his muscles commands to move. He began trying to lift his head, trying to view the world around him.
"Please don't move, Deidara-kun. The medical-nin from Iwa said for you to not move." A gentle voice...A very feminine voice. He gazed up, his eyesight foggy. A patch of brown above him was all he could see. A hand stroked his temple, and he smiled in spite of himself.
"Thhhelco jjfolo..." He couldn't speak. He could hardly even think. His head swam in an ocean of foggy haze.
"The medical-nin said that you would be dazed and confused for a few days. Word was already sent to the other side of the country. The Lord expects you in full condition before you attempt your journey." He would have nodded had he had the capacity to.
"Thoorake oouute..." He had meant to thank whoever it was speaking, but he still couldn't find the words. He knew how to speak, but he had no capacity to.
"If that was thank you, than you are quite welcome, my handsome shinobi. I hope you are feeling better today. Father says that as soon as you are well, we are to leave." So, this was the 'princess' he was supposed to be protecting, hm? Interesting. He wondered why she was taking care of him, if the place was chock full of maids and butlers and the like. As if guessing what he thought, her image blurred once more, and more white appeared. She must have been smiling. "Well, I am the only one with any medical knowledge. My father doesn't expect his servants to know how to bind one or fix one's ailments. He only expects them to clean, wash, and wipe." Deidara could understand that. If someone knew anything else...you would have to pay them more.
"Princess...your father wishes to speak to you." Another voice. He recognized this as Yodae. The girl stood, seemingly bowing before exiting the room. Yodae walked to his bedside, smiling down at him...or what appeared to be a smile. His vision was clearing, but was still horrible, like looking through thick glasses when one already had perfect vision.
"The medical-nin didn't know if you would last the night. He was afraid the poison was too advanced for him to deal with at that stage. He also said that if you survived, you would be one lucky son-of-a-bitch. Well...it turns out you have more luck than I reckoned." He sat at the edge of the bed, staring over at him. "The princess was quite taken with you, it appears. She even left her bedroom, where she had taken all her meals and such. She must like shinobi or something. Who can tell?" He stood, yawning and stretching. "I stood by your door all night long. I'm tired...so I think I will retire. Good to see you still alive, Deidara-kun." He yawned once more, striding from the room. Before shutting the door, he turned, staring over at Deidara. "By the way, I think that the princess had something to do with your recovery as well. That girl sure knows some medical stuff, I can tell you that right now." With that, he shut the door, leaving Deidara in peace. The shinobi turned his head, staring up at the ceiling as his vision swam. He closed his eyes, enjoying the peace and solitude that darkness held for him. So...the princess, hm? The princess had seen to his recovery.
What kind of princess knew medical practices, anyway? That seemed rather odd, but seeing as how he was alive and well, he didn't hold anything against it. His luck had held, at any rate. In time, he would be up and around, and he could get on with the mission, regardless of his injury.
It was another day before he had his vision and movement back, in which time the 'princess' had visited him numerous times. Since he could only listen, she had talked about her life in the mansion and her life before the riches. She had attended the local school, had made friends with the children, and had learned there beforehand. Now, with the money, she was home-schooled, being taught by the brightest minds that money could buy. She hardly ever left the house, as it was her fathers custom to deny her any rights outside. She would go on for hours about his cruel treatment of her. How she could almost never talk to any of the servants, how she had to follow protocol.
"Father says that going outside is the same as stepping into a lion's den. So many people want to harm me outside these walls that he keeps me imprisoned here. I can take care of myself, thank you very much!" She went on to explain how her mother had died two summers hence. However, her father always kept the chair ready for her next to him in the main room, so that if she ever returned, he would be ready. "I suppose it is selfish to think that mother will come back. He is a wonderful man at heart. He just...strays from the path of sanity a little, that's all." Deidara immediately recalled his first run in with the man, laughing slightly to himself. She had turned, smiling at him. "What is so funny? Are you laughing at me?" He shook his head, but she punched him lightly on the arm. "If you were well, it would have been a hell of a lot harder!" She smiled again, getting off the bed and kneeling so she could place her arms underneath her head, staring at the shinobi who stared back through his foggy vision. "You know, it's nice to be able to talk to someone without them following any sort of standard. You don't have to bow, or politely listen because it's your job." He would've said that he had to listen because he couldn't not listen, but he couldn't talk to say that. "These chats we've had...they mean a lot to me. Thank you." Getting up, she turned, leaving. "You know, it's almost like I've seen you before. Well, take care." She left, closing the door behind her.
As Deidara stretched, he gazed out the window from the top floor of the mansion. He could see over the hulking trees in the forest, giving him a wide expanse of visibility. If he had felt like, he could've put his ocular device in, allowing him to see almost to Iwa. He smiled, rubbing his hands.
"Well, I guess it's time to go, un." Cinching his belt up one more notch, making him realize that poison usually meant a loss in weight, he exited the room he had been confined to, taking the steps to the bottom floor four at a time. He entered the main chamber, whistling at a couple of the maids as they exited the room, blushing horribly. Smiling, he made his way to the throne, bowing. "I am prepared, my lord. We can leave when you announce it, un." The man on the dais smiled, standing and clapping his hands.
"Well done, Deidara. I must say, you are more resilient than I believed. I had feared you would be another three days in the healing process, but here you are, ripe and ready to go! Good show!" He clapped his hands, signaling Yodae into the room. The man was overjoyed to see Deidara as fit as he was.
"Well...how do you feel, Deidara-kun?" Deidara smiled, patting his stomach.
"You begin to feel the effects of not eating for a few days, that I can say, un." Yodae grinned, patting Deidara fitfully on the back.
"Well put, Deidara-kun. Well put, indeed." A clearing of the throat brought attention back to Lord Pokup.
"Yes, well. The carriage is outside, ready to go. Have the guards assembled and the princess brought down. Deidara-kun, you leave within the hour!" Deidara bowed once more, turning and walking from the room.
Indeed, they were ready to leave within the hour, the carriage having been prepared beforehand. The guards stood at attention, saluting smartly from two rows filed out in front and behind the carriage. Deidara stood on the top, a position he felt sure that he could protect all around him, and have a good vantage point as well. On top of the carriage sat two small barrels, each full to the brim with clay. During an attack, he had only to dip his hands into them to be able to strike back. Yodae stood to the side as the girl was led from the house. Deidara stared at her. She was beautiful, gorgeous to the point of no return. Her brown hair flowed gracefully behind her, and those large, puppy dog eyes. Had he not been previously promised to Yanoi, and had she not been previously promised to a man she hadn't met yet, than he would have been after her like a shot. In consequence, the princess herself seemed to be lagging somewhat. Deidara felt a certain empathy for the girl, but this was a mission. Whether or not she wanted to go was inconsequential. It was his job to get her there, and he would fulfill that job.
Suddenly, the sun came from behind a cloud, illuminating a previously darkened atmosphere. The way the sun's rays glinted off of the silken locks...the way it bounced playfully from her flawless skin. He blinked several times. Memories began coming back to him. Memories from his past...memories he had tried so hard to bury.
He had been on the ground. He had just been beaten mercilessly by school-children, a gang of them. He was face down in the dirt, trying not to cry. He reasoned with himself that they only did it because they didn't know any better.
A voice...a heavenly voice. A voice like that of an angel. He had turned over, and a girl had been there. Her face...he recalled it clearly now. Her brown hair waved in the breeze, and her smile lit up his dark world. He had smiled back, and she reached down, beginning to pick him up, but dropped him once again. He sat down hard on the ground, staring back up at her as she saw his hands. He had been ashamed, as always. They were the reason he had no friends to begin with. She picked him up again, much to his amazement. She didn't run. She didn't scream. She didn't hit him. She...seemed amused by his hands. She stuck a finger in one, swirling it about. He had blushed, and she smiled. That smile. That smile warmed his very core...he felt as if his soul would fly. That smile...
"Deidara-kun. Get ready, please. The procession will begin shortly." Yodae turned, bowing low to the girl as she crossed the lawn to the carriage, looking up at a dumbfounded Deidara. "Shizune-hime, please get in. We will be on our way." Then, all eyes were on Deidara...as he fainted clean away from the top of the carriage.
This time...it wasn't poison.
Next Time: An encounter on the road leads Deidara to some hilarious antics. However, it is all in the good of the mission...right? Next chapter: Roadside Excursion!