Deidara's Story
Clay Heart's Molded
Chapter 7: Moonlight Reconnaissance
Another sigh escaped his lips as the small column tramped endlessly though the heat of the day. Deidara stifled a yawn as he glanced wearily up into the sun. The heat was beginning to toll on his nerves. His leg injury hurt even worse, and if he had had the mind, he would have sat the remaining five men, Yodae, Shizune and himself on one large, clay bird and soared them to their destination faster. Trouble was, three of the men were afraid of heights. Also, he didn't really want to get there too fast. He was enjoying the company of the female presently at his side, relating some of her past shinobi medical training to him.
He smiled as she described a broken bone and the way to mend it. "It's simple, really," she explained, her mouth in a purse that Deidara found extremely attractive. "If the bone is broken in only one place, you can simply add chakra to both sides, melt the living bone tissue slightly, place them together, and reattach them with chakra. If a bone is broken in many places, than the healing process is slightly more complex. First, you'd have to sedate the patient. It hurts a lot. Then, you..."
She continued, going through a fine array of medical lingo that Deidara could hardly keep up with. He groaned slightly to himself as he felt his cartilage pop in his foot. A brilliant surgeon and doctor Shizune-chan may have been, but the creator of a jutsu to instantly fix broken bone and cartilage she wasn't.
She must have heard his sharp intake of breath, for she glanced at him worriedly. "Oh...Deidara-kun. Is your foot bothering you?"
The man groaned inwardly. Great, so she has a good perception of reality to. Wonderful. Out loud, he smiled. "Oh. Um...n...not really, Shizune-chan, un. I'll be fine...errg..." Not watching where his foot was falling, he managed to step onto a particularly fine-shaped rock, which caught his ankle just right as to jab inwardly at it. A string of curses issued from his mouth as he hopped about in pain.
Firmly, Shizune sat him down, not listening to his irate speech as she began to administer chakra into the limb. Intrigued, Yodae and the other men gathered about, watching the bluish-green light issuing from her hand.
Gradually, the pain began to subside, as Shizune's chakra dispelled the welling blood and initial swelling. Deidara calmed slightly, making a show of wincing as he carefully stretched his foot, rotating it on its axis and feeling the joint pop into place once more. Sighing his relief, he smiled up at the girl as beads of sweat coursed down her face. "Wow. Thanks, Shizune-hime. That feels much better, un."
The girl took another shallow breath, nodding as she stood. "You are welcome, Deidara-kun. Now, we can go on with our journey. Just, please watch out for rocks. I can't do that more than a few times before I'm too tired to go on."
Deidara laughed lightly, standing on his feet and brushing himself off. "Don't worry, Shizune-chan. If that happens, I'd just carry you, un." Shizune laughed lightly herself.
Around them, the guards exchanged wary glances. Even Yodae's eyebrow rose as he watched the two. Out of the corner of his mouth, one guard whispered to another.
"Oy. Check these two out. You would think that Shizune-hime is being married to this shinobi."
"I know. It almost looks like they're a couple, huh?"
"Yeah. If Lord Setama-sama hears about this..."
"He won't. None of us will tell him. Just keep your big mouth shut! Remember, if he finds out, then we are all as good as dead."
"Oh. Right. Got it."
The rest of the day went by without consequence. The sun rose into the sky, and set behind the mountain's in the west. The moon rose, casting an eerie glow across the landscape. Deidara sighed with relief as the column halted, leaving the main road for the shelter of the trees.
Setting up his tent, Deidara took a whiff of the air, sighing thoughtfully as the fresh scent of grass and woodlands filtered up into his senses. He had quite forgotten the smell of fresh wilderness, trying to be so fast at everything. Missions were completed fast, his money was made, and other missions were assigned. He had had no time to just...stop and smell the roses, or figuratively speaking, at any rate.
His tent finally erected, he stooped, grabbing another shirt to replace his old one, wringing with sweat. Of course, it was at this time that he realized that he didn't have another shirt. The only other shirt that he had brought was in tatters from their amazing array of battles on the road. The shirt he wore now was the only thing that was usable. Cursing his cursed luck, Deidara turned to Yodae, who had just finished erecting his own tent. "Oy, Yodae-san! Do you happen to have another shirt, un?"
The guard glanced in his direction, shrugging slightly. "No, I'm sorry, Deidara-san. However, there is a lake close-by, over that way," he said, pointing through the woods. "You may be able to wash it and hang it up to dry, at the very least."
Deidara nodded, taking his shirt off and beginning to traipse in the direction indicated. "Alright. See you in a bit, un. I may as well take a bath while I'm at it."
It didn't take long for the shinobi to reach the shores of the lake. It was tranquil, the moon's reflection bouncing off of still waters. A swan sat on the bank, head covered by a wing, the only patch of white in the dark setting of the night. Walking to the water's edge, Deidara tested the temperature of the lake before smiling. Taking a brief moment to undress, he laid his clothes on the bank, stepping into the water little by little to accustom himself to the change. Then, he sank down, feeling the mud squelch under his feet and wriggling in self-proclaimed happiness.
Dunking his head under, he came out, spitting liquid as he ventured further into the reeds. Snorting at a particularly large patch, he put his hands through, pulling them apart to get into the deepest end of the lake. That's when he realized that he hadn't been the only one to think about a bath.
A silken silhouette erupted from the tranquil water, hair flowing backwards as water sprayed in all directions. Surprised, Deidara shot back into the reeds, stopping when he was sure he couldn't be seen, but still watch. Taking advantage of his position, he watched as the figure swam about, playfully splashing around for a few minutes before heading back to the shore. Stepping out of the water with all the grace of a cat, the figure stood, dripping in the moonlight.
It was then that Deidara decided to make his presence known. If the figure was an enemy, than he could catch it by surprise, and take them down before they had a chance to fight back. "Hey! You know, when someone goes swimming, it's best to introduce yourself, un!"
The figure stopped, turning in his direction. Slowly, a voice, shaking with anger and playful mirth, sounded out. "D...Dei-deidara-kun!?"
Deidara's smile soon faded. It wasn't an enemy. It was..."Shizune-hime!? What are you doing here? You should be escorted everywhere! What were you thinking, un?"
A grunt of exasperation met his ears as the figure bent down, retrieving a towel and wrapping it about its lithe frame. "Um. I was taking a bath. Why would I want an escort!? What are you doing here? Spying on me? You pervert!"
Now it was Deidara's turn to get angry. "P-p-pervert!? I was taking a bath! You were the one spying on me, un!"
"It's not me in the reeds, idiot! You're the one hiding!"
"You're the one not telling anyone where you're going!"
"Pervert!"
"Ass!"
"Bastard!"
"Stupid girl, un!"
The bickering stopped, and for a moment, both fumed from there positions. Then, almost at the same time, they both erupted into laughter. Stepping into the shallows, Deidara smiled up as Shizune came into clearer view. "I'm sorry, Shizune-hime. If I had known you were taking a bath, I would have waited, un."
"It is quite alright, Deidara-kun. Please, no need to apologize." The girl smiled, her teeth white in the moonlight. Offering a hand to the blond, who eagerly took it, she stepped back, bringing him with her. It was then that Deidara noticed that she had been swimming with her undergarments on, a bra and panties covering her more delicate features.
It was also at this time that Shizune realized that Deidara had been swimming...without anything on. Turning her head to view the opposite way, she quickly held her nose. Immediately alarmed, Deidara took a step forward.
"Shizune-hime...are you going to sneeze?" he asked, genuinely concerned. Stifling the beginning's of her nose-bleed, Shizune nodded slightly.
"Oh...h-hai, Deidara-kun. Sneeze. Sure." It didn't take long for the momentary indiscretion to clear up. Without turning her head, she pointed to the shoreline just opposite where they stood. "Deidara-kun, please put on your clothes. A patient with a broken foot shouldn't run around naked."
"But, why..."
"Just do it! I'm the medical personnel, and I said do it!" He didn't have to know that it was a blatant lie, but it was all she could do to keep herself from turning and pinning the man to the ground. She didn't need him naked to boot.
Sighing in submission, Deidara did as bid, turning around and walking the short way to where his clothes lay on the bank. Putting his pants on, he turned half-way around, remarking, "do you mind if I don't wear a shirt? Mine is filthy, and needs to be washed, un."
"That's fine. That's perfectly reasonable," Shizune said, turning to look at him. Even in the moonlight, she could see his perfect upper-body, his abdominal muscles flexing slightly as he knelt down, giving his shirt a wash in the water before scrubbing it with clay. Clay was a wonderful thing. It could blow up a building, or it could scrub a shirt clean. Made up of gritty particles, clay did the trick. Just wash the garment to get rid of the grit, and it was cleaner than if you used soap.
Shizune gulped visibly as Deidara stood, turning back to the woods to hang his shirt on a tree limb. Admiring his work, he said, "so, Shizune-hime. How is it that a know-nothing girl like yourself knows medical ninjutsu, un? Surely your father knew nothing of this."
Shizune blinked at him, giving a small sigh before sitting and staring across the lake expanse, the water glistening with her eyes. "I was young. Only ten. I became severely ill, so sick I couldn't move. At one point, I couldn't talk. I almost died. My father, being the kind hearted person he really is, brought in all the doctors and medical technicians he could find. No one could heal me. Then, one day, a wandering shinobi came through the village. She was the most magnificent, most wonderful person in the world! She came from the village of Konohagakure. Her name was Tsunade, the Slug Sannin."
Deidara's eyebrows rose slightly. "You mean the Slug Sannin? Not just an imitation, un?"
Shizune smiled, shaking her head. "No, the real thing. Blond, beautiful, smart...at least, what I could remember. I was still deathly ill at this point. That's when she came to our mansion. Apparently, she had debts all over our village. Besides being the world's greatest medical shinobi, she was also the world's worst gambler as well."
Deidara chuckled. "Hai, I've heard about her."
"Well, she came to the manor, and her and my father came to a deal. If she could heal me, than her debts within the village would be wiped clean. All of them! Hundreds and thousands of yen's worth. It was a deal that she couldn't pass up. So, she came up to my room."
"From what I remember of it, Deidara-kun, she told everyone to leave the room. They did as they were told, and she shut the door. Then, she came over to my bed, sitting in a chair and watching me. I was horribly sick, I had a fever that felt as though the sun were burning into my skin, and my body wouldn't stop shaking. I gazed up at her, and I could barely see above her...well..." The girl stopped, glancing down at her own chest.
Deidara almost chuckled, but caught himself. "Her chest." Shizune gasped lightly, glancing over at him. "I've heard about more than just her healing and gambling skills, Shizune-hime. Please, continue, un."
She smiled, nodding as she began again with her dialog. "I was gazing up into her eyes, which...which looked like they had seen much anger and frustration. A lot of pain. She bent her head down, and said to me, 'if you want to live, you will live. I cannot live for you.' Then, she gave me a kiss on my forehead. It was as though a cooling breath of air came over me. I lay there, completely stunned, and she got up from her chair. She put both hands on my chest, and closed her eyes in concentration. Then, I blacked out."
"When I woke up in the morning, she was gone...and I could move! I didn't feel sick at all! In fact, I could do almost everything that I did before. It was as though I had never been sick!" She began to get more excited. More agitated. It was something that Deidara had never seen before. Something of a change in her. "I went downstairs and told my father. He said that the Tsunade person had healed me. I had been given a drug by the chef, but it turned out that I was allergic to it. Apparently, it was a ploy to get me to fall asleep so that I could be kidnapped and ransomed. The chef was found out, and he and his gang were punished." Suddenly, her narrative stopped, and she turned a hardened gaze on Deidara. "Deidara-kun, I am not a bad person. I am not evil, or spiteful."
Deidara blinked, taken aback by the sudden turn. "I...I know that, Shizune-hime."
"But...but I was there when the chef was executed. He and his whole gang! They were all executed by my father's guards. Every one of them! I was there!" She turned her gaze back to the lake, watching small waves lap the shoreline. "You know what, Deidara-kun? I enjoyed it. I enjoyed watching those men die by the spears that were bought with the money they had wanted. I knew that I shouldn't. I knew that it was wrong. But...I smiled when the chef's heart was pierced. The pain that I had felt for those three days. The...the agonizing pain. I felt justified! I felt...I felt so relieved!" A tear crept down her face, falling onto her open palm as she gazed at it.
Deidara's heart twanged slightly. This poor girl has endured quite a bit. Almost as much as me, he thought to himself. Slowly, he placed a hand on Shizune's shoulder, giving her a reassuring tap. "It's...it's alright, Shizune-hime. It's alright. Please don't cry, un."
If she heard his plea, she didn't comply. Instead, she turned, immediately wrapping him in a hug as tears poured unchecked down her face, dripping onto his chest and soaking the ground. "Oh...oh Deidara-kun. I don't want to get married. I...I don't want to be someone's wife! I don't even know what he looks like! Deidara...Deidara-kun..." She cried pitifully, her wracking sobs tearing through her body.
Deidara winced, not understanding what he should do. Should he comfort her? Surely not. That would be a sign of his compassion for her, and he couldn't show that. He was a shinobi, and shinobi never showed compassion, love, hatred, admiration. No emotion at all. Should he console her? No, that was the same as comforting her. Should he yell at her?
He thought about it, but he could never bring himself to yell at such a delicate flower. If she was this upset, who knew what yelling would do. He could slap her, but then again, he could never harm her. She was precious to him. Nothing would hurt her ever again. Wrapping his arms about her, he sighed. "Shizune-hime..."
Neither of them would ever recall what happened next. One moment, they were hugging each other, finding solace in each other and their separate struggles. The next, Deidara was fervently pushing his tongue into her throat, feeling her accept and mirror his sentiments with her own. Her hands were exploring his chest, feeling his muscles, wrapping themselves about his body. His own hands were busy at her chest, feeling her through her thin layer of clothes, exploring every aspect of her female being. Quite suddenly, they split, watching each other for a sign of movement. Their eyes wandered up and down, taking in the other.
"Deidara-kun..." Shizune began, wringing her hands in front of her.
Immediately, Deidara was on the defensive. Had he done something wrong? He had only been with one other woman. Yanoi, back in Iwagakure. He thought that he knew something of a female. Was he in the wrong? Did he make the first move? Maybe she didn't want him? "Y...yes, Shizune-hime?"
The girl was quiet for a moment, staring down at her hands. Then, "Deidara-kun." She took a breath, and then glanced up at him. "I...I..."
Deidara blinked, moving his hand to hers. "Yes, Shizune-hime?"
Shizune glanced down at the hand, and then back at him. "You know that I want what is best for my land. For my village. For...for my father?"
Deidara nodded. "Hai."
Shizune took another breath. "But, I also want what is best for me. I should be the first to get my own respect. I should take control of my life, instead of someone else."
Deidara nodded again. "Hai, Shizune-hime. That is something that you should have for your own, un."
It was then that something happened that he had never expected. Shizune moved with all the cat-like grace of a feline. Immediately, her weight was pressing him down, and from the ground, he looked up at her, her silhouette was outlined by the moon. "I want you, Deidara-kun. I want you more than I want to live. I want you to take me, right here, right now. I want to know a man's love, his touch, the feel of his body over mine. Will you...will you do this for me...Deidara-kun?"
The crickets chirped in the background, augmenting the silence that flowed through the scene. Shizune's tears began to reappear, shining within her eyes. "Please, Deid..."
His lips met hers, cutting off further speech as she started in surprise. His hands were suddenly at her stomach, pulling her shirt off roughly and tossing it to the ground. She returned the kiss, feeling his hands beginning to pull at her bra straps. Shrugging out of the garment, she rolled to the side, bringing him on top of her. Slowly, she moved her head to his ear as he reached for her pants. "Please, Deidara-kun. I...I need this. Please..."
He nodded, basically ripping her pants off. Both were panting, and only the moon and a small assortment of animals were witnesses to the goings-ons.
Of course, all was seen by the stranger standing on a small cliff edge. Watching the scene, the wind whipped about, catching the hem of the figures cloak and swirling it about. The cloaked figure stood for a moment, watching the two young lovers bonding on the lonely shores of the small lake, before turning and fading into the night, its feet never making a sound as it disappeared into the darkness.
It may have been minutes, or it may have been hours later when Deidara and Shizune lay panting, face-up, staring at the moon, not daring to glance at the other.
Shizune took a deep breath, daring to glance sideways. "Well..."
Deidara also took a deep breath, glancing sideways. "Well..."
Sitting up, Shizune quickly put on her pants, shivering in the slight cold. "Thank you, Deidara-kun. At least now...I suppose...I know what true passion is. Not just a man's insatiable lust for young flesh."
Deidara smiled, sitting up himself and not caring to hide his exposed parts. "Are you sure that what just happened wasn't just that? An insatiable lust for young flesh, un?"
Shizune smiled back, sticking her tongue out at him. Immediately, his teeth latched on to it, pulling affectionately as she stifled a cry. Letting go, he planted a real kiss on her, which she gave back freely.
Leaning back, he smirked. "You know, Shizune-hime. This means that we have to get married now, un."
Shizune nodded, sighing as she leant into his chest. "I know, Deidara-kun. In a perfect world...we would."
Deidara nodded, looking up into the sky as the stars began to soften and a haze grew in the East. "But...we both know the world isn't perfect. Not even close."
Shizune sighed again. "But...this can be our moment. Our little piece of perfect. Right...Deidara-kun?"
Deidara nodded. "Hai, Shizune-hime. Hai."
Our little piece of perfect.
Next Chapter: Their journey is finally over! Deidara and Shizune, along with Yodae and the others, arrive at the mansion of a very wealthy, and very generous, lord. Deidara is overjoyed with his pay, but...is he leaving something behind? And why doesn't he trust the man who is to be Shizune's husband fully? Something about how nice he is...isn't right. Next time: Meet The Lord! The Generous Deceit!
A/N: I will post another chapter soon. Before the inspiration leaves me.