Deidara's Story
Clay Heart's Molded
Chapter 8: Meet The Lord, The Generous Deceit!
The wheels of the cart moved slowly through the trench-like furrows drawn against the road, where countless other carts had been before. Thankfully, there had been a town between the lakeside stopping point and the small excursions final destination. Listening to the creaking and groaning of the wooden shafts against metal rivets, Deidara pondered the situation that he was now in. He had taken Shizune for his own. But, he also had Yanoi back in Iwagakure. Deidara was at a loss. Well, I suppose if I just get Shizune to the end of this journey, that everything will work itself out.
Looking up, Deidara sighed as he watched Shizune sitting in the middle of the carriage, all alone, the jostling of the wagon hardly noticeable on her form. Her face looked mildly sad, but that was to be expected. In just a few hours, she would arrive at her new husbands home. Her husband would give her everything she would ever need, and she would be miserable. Every day, her husband would demand things, and she would have to provide them, or else. It was for the good of the nation. Everyone would prosper from this union. Except for her.
Shizune-hime...It was true, Deidara thought. You only wanted more what you could never have. For the next few hours, Deidara would be in horrible pain. Not physical pain, though he could almost feel it. Not emotional, though he felt like crying. This pain was a confluence of all the pain that he could ever describe to a normal individual. A pain that would drag on until his mind was focused on another figure. A pain that would eat at his soul.
In the wagon, Shizune was feeling something of a kin to dread. Deidara was there, but for the most part, her mind was focused on the events that were going to unfold later that day. She would meet her new husband. They would have a make-shift wedding, with a handful of guests that she wouldn't know in the slightest. Her wedding would start the first day of the last day of her life.
Outside, oblivious to all this, the insects and birds buzzed around, the cows grazed on the side of the road, watching the procession of six men and a carriage drawn by a pair of brown, sleek horses slowly idling down the patch of dirt and rock.
The castle lord, Setama Daijou, stood at his window. From his perch, he could see up the road for miles, and from here, he would await his new bride. Lord Setama was a practical man. He had prepared his castle for the new arrival. His last wife was already being sent out of country. She was promised a cruise. Tragically, the ship would be attacked by a gang of thieves, and sent to the bottom. Alas, his wife would be on it when it did so. Of course, she, and the entire crew, minus the captain, who had been paid off extremely well, would join the ship. The lord of his domain smiled to himself. "Pity," he said into the lazy afternoon air. "It was a beautiful ship."
"Sir! A scout has come back! Shizune-hime and her contingent are on the way. They should arrive here within four hours!"
The man smiled. His long, thin beard hung regally near to his shoulder line, and he stroked it softly. Kicking his loose robe aside, he gave the air a stare, as if his gaze was being redirected at the lieutenant. "Very well, Lieutenant. I want you to continue surveillance on the escort. When they are within four kilometers, I want you to take an escort of our own. Twenty men, armed and ready. There are rebels within my woods. They may try to stop you. Don't allow any to interfere." He made a chopping motion with his arm, as if it was the final word.
The Lieutenant nodded, saluting and bowing. "Hai, sir. It will be as you say."
Upon leaving, the Lieutenant smiled. Silently, three shinobi dropped to the ground, to meet him at the bottom of the stairs. Just as quietly, they stood, robed in black and red cloaks, bearing red hands upon them. The Lieutenant sniffed, nodding at the three. "Our Lord Setama requests that no Red Hand militants be involved in this affair. Your services shall be rewarded quite handsomely."
A woman, lithe, hood covering her darkened face, saluted with a closed hand over her heart. Her smile reflected the cold, calculating stigma behind her mask of darkness. "Hai. Eet shall bee as thee Lord Setama deemandsss..." Her pointed teeth stuck between her lips, mirrored by her two companions.
One, a burly male specimen, at least a head above her, and more than three above their cohort, smiled in his own way, gnarled mouth and ruddy nose catching the light. Balling up his fists, he clenched them behind his tunic. "They have a shinobi of the stone with them. What shall we do about him? If this is to go off without a hitch, then he will have to be eliminated."
The Lieutenant grimaced. "It will be a shame to see him killed. I cannot understand why Lord Setama would request the Stone's best shinobi...just to have him killed off. But yes, he wishes that the shinobi be eliminated...discreetly."
The smaller male smiled under his hood, nodding. "Hai. Discreet is what the Red Hand does. Do not worry. No one will know what became of the shinobi. He will be taken care of." A chakra string slowly made its way from beneath the man's cloak. A quick movement of a hand wrapped it daintily around the neck of the priceless vase sitting on a sitting table next to the Lieutenant's hand. Another quick motion brought it quickly back. "Taken care of indeed." The next instant, all three vanished into the growing gloom, leaving the stalwart Lieutenant blinking.
"Hn...shinobi," he said. Turning, he began to make his way back to where Lord Setama was waiting for an update report. Silently, he fingered the vase. His hand barely touched the thing...making it crumble as if it had been smashed by a hammer. Cringing slightly, the man shook his head, repeating to himself, "hn...shinobi..."
As Deidara busied himself counting the fifteen millionth tree, he sighed. After fighting Red Hand bandits, cursing the day he was born, and pretty much going over every aspect of his life, he could no longer think about anything but the woman that was beneath him, resting in the carriage that would bring her to the man that would be her sole world for the rest of her life. It would be a tragic end to her story, and he, Deidara, could do nothing about it.
"Deidara-san!" Yodae exclaimed, yelling at him from beside the carriage, where his feet continued to pound. Deidara nodded, slipping from the carriage top with ease and landing in step with the lead guard.
Eying him for a moment, Deidara turned his attention back to the path in front of them, talking to Yodae without any kind of concern. "Hai, Yodae. What seems to be the trouble, un?"
Yodae gulped audibly, and then sighed. "Deidara-san...I'm sorry."
Deidara blinked. "Sorry? Sorry for what, un?"
"Deidara-san," Yodae began. Suddenly, his voice caught in his throat, and he couldn't speak for a time. The guard gave a slight cough, clearing his throat. "Deidara-san, the others and I have noticed that...well..."
"Yes? Go on, un," Deidara said. It was more comfortable to think about his dilemma's from the top of the carriage than to carry on a conversation with this man on the ground.
Yodae's hand rubbed the nape of his neck in slight discomfort. In the process, the man also found a sunburn, which ached against his skin. "Deidara-san, we've noticed that, well, you and Shizune-hime have become...close."
Deidara's eyebrow arched narrowly, and he grunted. "Hn. Go on, un."
"Well, we think that it's in everyone's best interest if you...didn't attend the wedding. As soon as we get to the Lord Setama's castle, it may be best to get your pay...and return to Iwagakure," Yodae said. Another audible gulp. It didn't pay for a normal guard to tell a shinobi what his business was.
Deidara took the words to heart, nodding thoughtfully. "It may be best, un," he said. Yodae's eyebrow rose. Deidara agreed? "Yes, it may be best to get along to Iwagakure. I agree with you, Yodae-san." Besides, if he were to suddenly leave, than he wouldn't do something to screw up the union...like blow the mansion to smithereens and steal Shizune away with him. Hopefully, his leaving wouldn't be seen as a discretionary gesture and more of an urgency.
Yodae smiled small and weak, turning back to the road. "Thank you, Deidara-san. You are wise." Rubbing the stump of his arm, he sighed. "This has been a long, and dangerous trip. Without your protection, we all would be dead by now, Shizune would be dead or worse, and our two sides of the map would be in a war. With your help, we have stabilized the country, and brought peace to the lives of those who live now, and those who will come after. Thank you, Deidara-san. Thank you."
Deidara smiled, nodding. "Hai, Yodae-san. You are very welcome, un. I'm just sorry that I allowed your men to suffer. That last group was..." and he paused, sighing at Yodae's arm where the stump swung to the rhythm of the man walking.
Yodae smiled, laughing. "It is a lot worse than it feels, Deidara-san. Do not worry about my health. I did not leave my arm on the battlefield for nothing, and I am sure that my lord will pay to have my appendage replaced with one of those newer model arms. Maybe one with a weapons holster." He would have to think about that.
Deidara snickered. He thought about Bushio, and how the man could lay down an entire army with a mere sweep of his hand, the entirety of an advancing troop cut down by projectiles and explosive cartridges. He had only seen it once, and he didn't wish to be on the receiving end of the attacks. Ever.
Suddenly, a column of dust arose from in front of the pitiful band of rugged survivors. Marching to the cadence of a single drum pounding out a beat, a double-line of men appeared, weapons in full array, outfits bright and seemingly dustless as they ran towards the carriage. Forming up around it, they turned as one, standing in position and pointing back up the path. Deidara's eyebrow rose as he surveyed them. "Cock-jays, un?"
Yodae sighed. "Lord Setama's men. Good, reinforcements."
A young lieutenant strode among the remaining, bedraggled troop, eying their clothing with disdain and marching up to Yodae and Deidara. Clearing his throat in a most officious way, the lieutenant gruffly called out, "we are emissaries of our lord Setama! Please, allow us to escort you the rest of the way to the manor, where you will be dealt with accordingly!" Turning, the man pointed up the path. "Troop! Forward...MARCH!"
Briskly, the entire column began pounding the ground in cadence. Those behind the wagon were giving it a rough boost, helping along the pair of horses that, seeing that their load was lightened, slowed their pace to just in front of the cart, allowing their leads to slack. Deidara grunted as a rock underfoot gave way, and his injured ankle shot a spasm of pain up his leg. He could tell that Yodae was in no better shape, his arm hanging limply as he courageously fought to keep stride with the fresh men from the manor.
Turning to the lieutenant, he smiled. "Oy! How about lightening the pace, un? We could use a break."
In turn, the lieutenant merely sniffed. "We have no time to lose. You are already more than fifteen minutes behind schedule. If you don't hurry, your pay will be severely cut." Deidara sighed and nodded. Wouldn't want that...
It only took a matter of an hour to reach the manor at the pace they had set. Bone-weary, foot-heavy, and thirsty, the six remaining guards slumped down, some against the carriage, some in seats that had been sat in the courtyard for use by the wedding guests. One even plopped down into the dust, his shield and spear hitting the ground and raising a cloud of dust.
"Welcome, my friends!" The lord of the manor boomed, walking out among the men. "Welcome, welcome indeed!" Turning to the blond shinobi behind him, he smiled. "Ah! You must be Deidara-kun. Well well, thank you, sir shinobi. You have done a wonderful deed today."
Did I? Deidara asked himself. Out loud, he nodded and replied, "hai. Thank you, Lord-Setama! Your guard has been decisively helpful in getting us through the toughest of difficulties. Those last two miles were quite harsh and treacherous, un."
Hinting at the sarcasm in the shinobi's voice, Setama's noise took an upturn into the wind. "Indeed," he drawled. Noting Yodae, he clucked under his breath. "I did not realize that my lord hired those who are so severely handicapped."
Yodae fought through the wave of agony threatening to overcome his body to give the lord of the manor a stiff salute. "I was injured upon the road leading to your manor, Lord! Rest assured, as soon as I have gained some strength, I will be right as rain once more. Thank you for your hospitality, Lord Setama!"
Momentarily placated, the man turned. "Good to hear. Now, where is my lovely bride to be? Where...is my Shizune-hime?"
It was as if a cue was given. The door of the carriage opened, allowing the brown-haired beauty to depart it. Taking in her radiant beauty, the Lord gave the girl a curt bow. "Princess. I am forever humbled by such beauty as you possess. It will be the highest of honors for me to have the hand of such a beautiful woman as yourself."
Taking her hand, he gave it a slight kiss, sending a chill up her body which he mistook for pleasure. Smiling, he stood, nodding at his guard. "See to it that the guard is given full use of the barracks. They are to be bathed, clothed properly, and fed the best of my stores. We will be sure that they are returned to their lord without further insult. Is that understood?"
"Hai, sir!" Slowly, the troops melted off, the original carriage guards picking up their personal belongings and heading off to the barracks, accompanied by Setama's men.
Turning to Deidara, Setama nodded. "You, shinobi. You may have a room in the manor for now. Tomorrow, I will wed Shizune-hime, and..."
"My lord!" Deidara cut in, raising a hand. Setama stopped mid-sentence, turning to address the impudent shinobi who would dare to interrupt him. "I apologize, but I must be returning to Iwagakure, un."
"Leaving? So soon? Why for?"
"It is not a personal matter, lord. It is just that my assignment was to bring Shizune-hime to this manor, alive and unharmed. I have done as requested, un. Therefore, on behalf of Iwagakure and myself, I would like to thank you gratefully for this chance to perform the deed that was handed down to me, and in regards to Iwagakure, to take payment that was promised for the fulfillment of the deed," Deidara stated, allowing his memory to jog the necessary speech made to a client once a deal had been made and successfully accomplished.
The Lord Setama stood, his eyes smiling behind a mask of graciousness. "I see you are curt, shinobi. I like that in a man. Guards! Bring the shinobi's payment at once! Be sure not to keep him waiting. He has come far, and done great deeds for us. It would be..." his voice trailed off for a moment, as if he pondered the words he should say. "It would be unwise to lose another moment." Two guards saluted, turning and trotting off to the manor. Keeping his attention on the Iwa-nin, Setama grinned. "You will find the payment accepted by your council, along with a handsome bonus for keeping my beautiful bride alive and well, shinobi. Please, accept it with my sincere gratitude and thanks."
Sincere my ass...Deidara thought to himself. He bowed, nodding. "Please accept my thanks for payment received, un. Your bride is...lovely." He couldn't catch the rasp in his throat quick enough, and Setama's eyebrow rose slightly as he caught the octave change. However, neither spoke of it, and as Deidara straightened, he could sense the hesitation, fear, and anguish that emanated from the brown-haired woman that he had fallen for. He could do nothing. Could tell her nothing. He wanted nothing more than to blow the entire manor to smithereens, grab her hand, and take her back to Iwagakure with him. But his mission was at stake, his reputation was at stake, and his life was at stake, for to forsake a mission was ultimately punishable by death or banishment from Iwagakure, and with the state of the world, his banishment would mean certain death, either by roaming bands of enemy nin, or from his heart rending itself in twain.
Setama nodded, and both men stood uneasily, waiting for the return of his guard as they began rocking back and forth. An eternity seemed to pass before the waiting men chanced to see the guard returning with a briefcase. The icy smile returned once more to Lord Setama's face as he took the case from his lieutenant who had retrieved it. Turning, Setama opened the case, allowing Deidara to take a quick look at the money enclosed. Closing the case up, Setama passed it to the shinobi. "With my thanks, shinobi."
"With my gratitude, Lord Setama, un." Giving the Lord a bow, Deidara turned back to the carriage, walking stiffly to where Shizune stood by. Her face was blank, as if her mind were focused on a distant memory. Even as Deidara bowed and gave her hand a kiss, her face never betrayed the feelings that were boiling within her heart, that threatened to burst from her mouth. Though she wished nothing more than to grab the man who had won her heart and lock her lips onto his, she stood. "Goodbye, Shizune-hime."
"Good-bye shinobi-san," Shizune said back, monotone voice not wavering or flinching in the slightest. Deidara gulped audibly, turning and walking towards the gate. His head tipped a fond farewell at Yodae, who gave him a weak salute back.
As Deidara left the manor grounds and made it onto the main road, the Lord Setama turned his attention to Shizune, who shifted nervously under the weight of the man's gaze. Walking to her, he grasped her hand, pulling her close. "Hm. Yes, you will do wonderfully. Your poise, your grace, your quiet resoluteness. Everything I could have asked for the mother of my heir to be."
Shizune gulped, taking her mind to another world as the man's eyes roved her being. Had she the ability, she would have slapped him and walked away in disgust. As it was, she could do nothing but take his wandering eye.
His gaze fell upon her face, and on seeing her blank stare, his smile faded back. "My dear, have I upset you? I do not mean to. Please, let us adjourn into the house. My physician shall look you over to be sure that no harm was befallen, and after, you shall sleep in the second finest bed in all the land. Tomorrow, after we are wed, you shall sleep in the grandest bed of all. Mine." He gave a signal to his men, and two of them bowed deferentially, escorting the maiden through the doors of the manor to the stairs. Her room would be near the top of the tower...a means to keep her from escaping if she so chose to try.
As Shizune and her guard left Setama's sight, he smiled. Turning his attention to the one-armed palace guard, he nodded in Yodae's direction. "My friend, tomorrow is a grand day. Please, I shall send my physician to attend you. You look ill."
Yodae's arm felt as though a brand were working its way into his flesh. He flinched as a spasm ran through him. "It is nothing, my lord. Please, I would not trouble you..."
"Nonsense, Yodae-san!" The lord of the manor clapped his hands yet again, and yet again his cronies took initiative. One took Yodae's spear from him while the other quickly lent his frame for Yodae to lean against. Gratefully, the man did so, leaning his weight heavily on the guard and sighing in relief. Hopefully, his men were being treated with as much courtesy as he was receiving. "Tomorrow, I shall wed the beautiful Shizune-hime, and you shall find yourself rewarded justly. You have my...undying gratitude for your service, sir."
"You have my gratitude for the thought, Lord Setama-sama. Thank you. I will retire now," Yodae said, nodding his head balefully as the two guards helped him across the arena and into the manor.
As Setama stood in his courtyard, he the only soul occupying the space, he began to muse about the day's events. His bride was safely within his walls. The guards were all in place, and the shinobi was on his way back to Iwagakure. Wonderful!
Like three wraiths, the Red Hand shinobi's drifted in, stopping behind Setama as all four gazed out the Northern Gate. The small one took a step forward to Setama's side, his gaze never faltering from the open portal. "So, is everything as you wished it to be?"
Setama chuckled, a deep, throaty, hoarse laugh that echoed around the walls of the courtyard. "Yes, everything is perfect."
"Then we have fulfilled our part of the bargain."
"Yes, you have done so quite well. Thank you for your business." A hand slipped from the robe, palm up, in the Lord's direction, and he smiled. "Of course, you shall be paid handsomely. I am sorry that you lost men on the road here. Tragic loss."
The woman chuckled behind him. "Eet should bee no worree of thine, Lord. They were faithfool comrades, and deed their part most weel." She smiled, teeth glinting in the mid-day sun.
"Oy!" The large one stated, his hand coming up and resting on the woman's shoulder. "What are we going to do now about that shinobi?"
The Lord of the manor stood in the sunlight for a minute, radiating cold, calculating malice. Suddenly, he turned, nodding at the smaller one. "Do it."
The small shinobi nodded, flicking his hands in a peculiar motion, much like someone who was flicking a yo-yo up and down. Silently, the chakra thread he had been releasing snapped, the bow traveling down the length towards the open gate and down the path.
Heart heavy and soul wrenching apart, Deidara continued his drudging pace down the narrow dirt path. He was leaving his cares and troubles behind. The woman he loved was getting further and further away now, and it just meant that he was closer and closer to his long-term goals. He had to get back to Iwagakure to marry his Yanoi, and his heart would mend itself. If he could only see his Yanoi now, it would set his mind at ease.
Sighing, the blond shinobi mentally slapped himself. "Get a hold of yourself Deidara, un! You are a better man then this! Stop pining for some stupid girl you can't have and get a grip!" Suddenly, the weight of the case in his hand made him stop. Smiling stupidly, he sat heavily on the ground, rubbing his hands in anticipation. "At least the pay is good," he said aloud to himself. Snapping the locks, he opened it, grinning at the yen smiling up at him from within. At least the pay was good...he thought to himself. Slowly, he reached down, taking a handful of money and feeling it crinkle in his hands.
He couldn't help himself. Throwing his head back, he gave vent to his feelings, sending a shout through the still air. "Yeehaw! Damn this is a lot of money! I should be able to buy a crap load of shit with this, un!"
A distant 'moo' turned his head to the right, and he smiled at the cows in the neighboring pasture. "I could buy each of you your own barn! What about that, un?" A steer turned his head, dull eyes blinking in the sun, as if hearing the man's thoughts and acknowledging them. Chuckling, Deidara turned back to his case. His hands were about to replace the money when something caught his eye. A blank piece of paper? Beneath the cash was just a white piece of paper. Setting the money aside, he dug down through the yen to uncover the note. Pulling it from the case, he blinked stupidly at it. "A piece of paper? Why did they put a piece of paper in here?" He flipped it, and cringed. On the other side were runes scrawled in pretty handwriting...runes indicating...
"An explosive note!" From nowhere, a barrier formed, a crisp, blue sheen coming over Deidara's world with about four feet in any direction. A perfect trap. "Shit!"
It was about that time that the blond noticed the thread hanging limply from the explosive note, and as he watched in horror, it suddenly was yanked out.
Even from the four kilometers distance that Deidara had walked from the manor, Setama and the three shinobi could distinctly hear the sound of a mighty explosion, though no cloud formed, nor did any birds give voice to being disturbed. Setama smiled, turning and beginning his walk back into the manor. "Fantastic. Just...fantastic."
The three shinobi stood for quite a deal of time. The small one chuckled as the chakra thread disappeared into the haze of the day. "It was a waste of chakra to put that much energy into the note, Lang."
The female, Lang, snickered. "But eet was so mooch fun too do thees. Do you not agree, YaoFang?"
YaoFang smiled from behind his hood, nodding down at his two cohorts. "Yeah, it was fun. I'm getting real good at makin' those shields. Four kilometers, that's not too bad."
The smallest shinobi, Meechi, sighed. "You two. Fun will not win this war for us. The cause will be won through sweat and blood, death and destruction." For a moment, he thought and mused. Then, almost as if on a whim, he said, "yes. It was...fun."
The three laughed low and dampened before whisking away in a puff of smoke. They still had to find this man's treasure store. They were close to finding it, and once they had accomplished that, they would simply kill every person who walked within the manor. They would extinguish the light that was the land, and they would send a message to those who would oppose them.
The Red Hand did not work for anyone. They merely waited until they could take what they wanted. The world of shinobi would be free. Or the shinobi of the world would die. It was their choice.
Either way, a lot of people would die. The Red Hand would see to that.
Next Time: Has Lord Setama really gotten rid of his shinobi problem once and for all? When his physician is done with Shizune, secrets are uncovered, and tensions rise. Yodae becomes brave, but will he be able to protect Shizune...and save his own skin? Next Chapter: Lang, the Femme Fatale!