Deidara's Story:

Clay Hearts Molded

Chapter 10: Lang, the Femme Fatale

Setama stood at his balcony window, gazing out to the West as the slowly sinking sun went behind the tree-lined ridge. His nostrils flared as he took a whiff of the crisp atmosphere, and a smile played on his lips as he thought of the masterful plan that he was enacting at the very moment. His team of physicians were busy at work on Shizune. She needed to be ready to bear his heir as soon as the wedding was over. He needed a full grown heir in a mere twenty years. He would then raise an army large enough to overthrow the Eastern side of his province, and the entirety of the land would fall under his domain. At that point, he could even rage full-scale war on the Earth Lord, bribing the various shinobi villages to follow him into battle.

"Hn. Lord Setama, ruler of the Land of Earth. I like the sound of that..." he mused to himself. His hand reached to his neck, obliterating the biting insect that dared to land upon him. Still lost in his musings, he turned, walking quickly back into his keep. He needed to check upon his bride-to-be. She needed to be perfect. Just...perfect!

"Three-cheers to Lord Setama and his hospitality!" Yodae shouted, holding up his glass to his remaining troops. Drunkenly, they stood, shouting out and cheering to their benefactor. Sitting back down, Yodae drained his glass in one go, setting it down and belching. Using his hand to wipe across his mouth, he stared around at his men, who were laughing jovially with Setama's own troops. Jokes were being shared back and forth, and the atmosphere was quite light.

"Nothing like a good party," a man at his left said, sitting down. Yodae blinked drunken eyes at the newcomer, and he smiled, giving him a hearty push with his shoulder. The man, shifted slightly off balance, corrected himself immediately, taking a mug and sipping from it. Putting it down, he peered to the left at Yodae, who's rosy cheeks showed just how inebriated he was. "You are enjoying yourselves, yes?"

Yodae hiccuped, smiling drunkenly and patting the man on the head. "Of course I do! Never been better, friend! Why you ask?"

The man chortled, taking another sip. "Hn. I was asked by the Lord Setama to see how you were faring. To be sure, you are being well cared for, yes?"

"Oh yes," Yodae said, nodding. "His hospitality has been quite affable. Thank you."

"No," the stranger said, rising from his chair. "Thank you. I shall tell the Lord Setama immediately." Slipping out of the room like a wraith, the man made his way back to the main manor. As he left, he grasped one of Lord Setama's men, standing at the threshold as a guard. "Has it been taken care of?"

The man snorted. "Of course, as the Lord Setama ordered. The drinks have been drugged with the sleeping serum. The men will start getting agitated shortly, and then they'll be dead to the world."

The cloaked figure smiled, tipping his cloak hem. "They'll be more dead then that I'm afraid. Just make sure that nothing stops them from drinking their fill."

Again, the man snorted. "We are trained soldiers. We do not make mistakes."

The cloaked figure strode past, nodding agreement. "Of course..."

Still drinking in the hall, Yodae stared stupidly at where the man had left from the room.

Blinking a few times, he shook his head, smiling. "Huh, mush be drunkesher than I thought," he said. Taking a big swig, he sighed, laying the cup on the table. "Coulda shworn that guy had a headbandsh on."

Upstairs, the wraith-like man began to sneak his way up to the Lord's chamber, quickly opening the door and slipping inside, closing the portal without so much as a whisper of air. Setama was still off checking on his new bride-to-be, so the visitor took the opportunity to give the room a quick hazing. Pictures of the Lord were above his bed, in his bath chambers, on the ceiling. A mosaic carved into the stone made him look vicious and regal...far apart from the reckless, insane man he really was. The cloaked figure began a reconnaissance of the main room, checking under furniture, tapping the floor, lifting the sheets and the mattress from the bed. "Where is it..." he sneered under his breath. Creeping into the bath chamber, the man quickly glanced about the room, taking in everything within a few moments time. Tapping here and checking there, he quickly ascertained that his quarry did not keep anything precious in his bed chambers. Sighing, he turned, walking quickly back into the main room.

No sooner had he found himself in the Lord's chamber did the man's Lieutenant walk into the room. Shutting the door officiously, the man turned his nose up into the air. "So, shinobi...are the remaining troops satisfied?"

The strange man removed his cloak, revealing the short shinobi Meechi. The shinobi smiled. "Of course. They are drinking wine and eating food and being fairly boisterous."

The Lieutenant smiled, nodding. "Hai. That is well. When they are all drunk, we will put the dead girls into the room. We will cover them with blood, and when they awaken..."

"They will be put to death for the death's of Setama-sama's women, and no one will be able to object," Meechi finished for him, replacing his cloak.

"Good," the Lieutenant said. "Now, all we need is for you to finish the job."

"Of course. All in due time," the shinobi said. With a puff of smoke, the man disappeared, leaving the Lieutenant in the room alone.

The man snubbed his nose in the air once more, sniffing. "Hn...shinobi."

Lord Setama ascended the stairs to where Shizune's room was located within his manor. With every step, his certainty grew. Of a new nation, a new land, where his law was THE law. Where his hand ruled with iron and death. Where those who obeyed him prospered, and those who did not died by the sword and kunai and jutsu. Setama would rule with an army of shinobi and armed men. Perhaps after his power was consolidated he would take his rule outside the land of stone, to other shinobi villages. He would wage war against all of Japan if he had to. His would be absolute power!

Gaining the top of the stairs, the man entered the room with a flourish. Inside, machines beeped and hummed with power. Two technicians monitored the instruments while a shinobi medic watched over the patient. Shizune lay in stirrups, her feet dangling in the air. Her face was crimson red from the drugs she had been injected with to calm her anger. She was beautiful.

Setama went to her, stroking her face with his hand. "Soon, my beauty. Soon..."

"Setama-sama...sir..." The medical shinobi said, walking to the other side of the table. "We...have news."

"What is it?" Setama asked, his face still locked onto Shizune's form lying prone on the table.

"It appears that...your bride-to-be...is with child."

The hand that was a moment earlier caressing Shizune's chin and neck suddenly grasped the table, gripping it in a torrent of rage. "Repeat yourself..."

The medic gulped, taking a backward step. "Shizune-hime...is with child?"

"Repeat..."

"Shizune..."

"REPEAT!"

The Lord's hand suddenly left the table, striking the medic down and sending him to the other side of the room. Holding a hand to his chin, the medic gazed fearfully up as the lord of the manor bore down on him. The man's foot struck the medic in the stomach, curling him up as the irate man continued to beat relentlessly. "You useless, pathetic maggot! How dare you!" Emphasizing each word with a strike or a kick. "Now, say what you were saying AGAIN!"

"My lord!" The man's lieutenant brought Setama out of his iron rage, and slowly, he calmed himself, his hand raising to his face and rubbing his temples. His lieutenant was by his side, giving his shoulders a light massaging. "My lord, please. It isn't the medic's fault. Now, calm yourself, and let us get to the root of the matter."

The Lord made a swift about-face, as if the situation had never occurred. "Of course," Setama agreed, nodding. Turning back to the table where Shizune's prone form lay, the lord strode to her side, grasping her hand with his and feeling her feeble pulse under sedation. His face became a mask of woe and despair, and his voice was cooing and soothing, like the calm before the storm. "Who...did this to my Shizune-hime?"

The medic coughed, wiping blood from his mouth as he staggered to his feet. "Ahem...m...my lord. It was...a shinobi, by all accounts of it. The chakra...is definitely shinobi-like. I could pinpoint the shinobi for you with a test, if you'd like, but..."

"It doesn't matter..." Setama's voice cut through the medic like a knife, causing a chill to go up his spine. "The baby growing inside of Shizune-hime is not my seed. Therefore...remove it," he said, emphasizing the words with a snap of his fingers.

The medic blinked, taking a step forward. "Re-re-remove it, sire? Why? Should we not wait for the girl to..."

"I SAID REMOVE IT!" The medic cowed slightly in the face of such ferocity. Seething with anger, Setama's eyes betrayed the deadly feeling that his words conveyed.

Slowly, the medic gulped, and then sighed feebly. "No."

Setama's eyes slowly faded from a pounding red to a dull orange. The rage subsided in face of the medic's obstinacy. "What? What did you say to me?"

"I won't do it," the man said, resolutely. "It's not right, and it isn't fair. I made a vow as a medic to uphold the duty of all medic's everywhere. I wouldn't and couldn't do any harm to anyone for any reason except to stop the death or injury of another person. I cannot, by the law of the shinobi code, remove the child without Shizune-hime's consent."

"Veeerrry weel..." Suddenly, a hand plunged through the hapless medic's chest, and a gruesome pair of clawed hands, crimson with blood, stood portrayed against the man's form. Collapsing in a heap, the man sank to the ground, lying in a pool of his own offal as the shinobi assassin Lang removed her weapons. Licking the blood from her clawed finger, she stood, walking languidly to where Setama stood. "My lorrd. I can bee of asseestance. Allow mee to removes thees abomination from za gurl. Eet wood bee my honour."

Setama snorted, turning his back. "You...shinobi. You would probably kill her in the trial of it. I wouldn't allow you to. I could have made that medic do it. A simple torture or two and he would have..."

"He would have bungled the job, my lord." Meechi, the short shinobi, dropped from the ceiling like a wraith cloaked in black. Standing, the man placed his hand over his heart. "We shall see to it that the girl's child is removed. She will be a fit vessel for the lord to take when the process is complete."

Setama again snorted. "You idiots, it will be another month before I am able to make an heir with this one. I need one now! I'm getting impatient!"

Lang smiled. "I has somezeen for zees." Her hand reached into her cloak pocket, removing a small vial from it. "Thees eez a powerful herbal dreenk. Two zeeps, and the woman shall bee ready for zee baby. Eet forces conception. For free, for you, Lord."

Setama glared at the two for a moment. "The girl will not be harmed?" He asked, taking another look at Shizune's prone form on the table. "I may be...slightly hardened, but I do have standards, and I am not without my mercy."

Lang smiled, her pointed teeth dripping with a asp's venom. "Fear thee not, my Lord. She shall bee most safe. I assure you of zees."

Slowly, his mouth turned from a grimace to a grin, and Setama's eyes danced merrily. "Very well. You have my blessing. Remove the child, and give Shizune-hime the concoction. I want her ripe for the post-maritals. See to it..."

Lang smiled, bowing low. "Hai, sir." Setama nodded, turning and leaving the room. Watching the man walk away, Lang turned her attention to the prone form on the table, legs spread-eagle. "Hn. She ees a preety won, yes?"

"Oh yes," Meechi said. His hand slid to her face, holding Shizune's prone chin in his embrace. "Her features are flawless." Smiling, he looked up at Lang, who was busy preening her claws. "Don't make a mess, hm? We still want to get paid...if we can't find the cache."

"The mess ees what makes eet fun, yes?"

"Not this time, Lang. Keep it simple. Just take the child out of the womb. Try not to cut her too much..."

Snorting in derision, Lang mouthed a few words under her breath as she took off the steel claws. "Fine fine. You are no fun."

Meechi sighed. "That's another thing. Why do you insist on using that accent of yours. You are not from the Land of Snow, and you don't talk like that."

"Eet geeves me a foreign aspect! Do not test me, yes?" Lang hissed under her breath. She received a snort from her partner. Slowly, her hands came up, resting on Shizune's lithe stomach. Back and forth Lang's hands moved, until they were just below the girl's navel. "Ah...yes...thees ees the place..."

"Don't harm the girl, Lang. Just the infant."

"Of course, Meechi." A green light began to build, slowly and methodically, rising off the girl's stomach like a hazy mist. Trailing off Lang's fingers and onto the floorboards, the tendrils of green opalescence drifted hither and yon, curling around the base of the walls and the legs of the table. Lang's eyes lit up as she watched her own jutsu at work.

Shizune's eyes quivered, and she moaned restlessly. Her body writhed and wriggled in the chains she was bound in. Suddenly, her body gave a violent jerk, her back contracting and throwing her into a bout of seizure. All at once, the jutsu abated, and Shizune's body fell back onto the table, sweat beading her brow.

Licking her fingers again, Lang sighed. "A baby has very leetle chakra for me to absorb. Eet ees feenished." She said the last as though she were pained by the finale.

Meechi smiled. "Give it to her."

The vial of greenish liquid appeared in Lang's hand. Uncorking the bottle gently, the cloaked shinobi walked to the front of the table, carefully tipping the concoction into Shizune's mouth. Two drops, and the cap sealed the vial once again. Shizune lapped the liquid as though it were bile, but slowly, she fell into her stupor again. "The body shall absorb the child, and eet shall be as though eet never happened..." Lang said, returning the vial to her cloak.

Meechi nodded, turning. "Alright. Let's go tell that fool Setama that we are done. We have only to place the dead girls in the room with those soldiers, and our tasks are completed. The shinobi is dead, the child is dead, and the soldiers will be as well. Hopefully, YaoFang has found that idiot's larder of gold and jewels, and we can rob them blind." Meechi smiled, rubbing his hands. "I have twenty of my men in the surrounding woods, ready for combat. When I give the signal, they will kill every soldier in this place, and we can use this fortress for our own battles. We'll rule this countryside from this vantage point. No more caves. No more hiding. The Red Hand will rise as the supreme power of the Stone Country!"

Lang idled up to him, throwing her arms around his shoulders. "Eet shall bee as you weesh eet, Meechi-san."

The plan was coming together nicely.

Yodae hiccuped, smiling stupidly at the mug in his hand that had been nearly finished. Willing his feet to move, he stood shakily, grabbing the table for support. His men were laid out, some snoring fitfully, two laying on the ground in puddles of drink and Kami knew what else. In all, it had been a fairly wonderful event. On the morrow, Shizune-hime would be married, and the country would be under a flag of peace and prosperity. It was all thanks to Deidara-san and himself.

Taking two steps, he quickly regained his balance, a large belch leaving his lips. His hand went for the door, his mind hoping that the bathroom was in that general direction. He had to relieve himself before he was in the same boat as a few of his men. No good having a commanding officer peeing his pants.

Suddenly, the door flew open, knocking him backwards against the wall and jarring his mind. Slumping to the ground, Yodae's half-open eyes blearily watched as four men strode into the room, carrying what looked to be scantily-clad women over their shoulders like huck-sacks. One of the men lay his burden against one of Yodae's guards, wiping sweat and blood from his brow. "So, when are these fools waking up?"

Another lay his down in front of another guard, and he cackled slightly. "Hn. About three hours from now. Imagine their surprise when they wake up and see dead girls in front of them." He smiled, his lips cracking with a faint laugh. "I don't know if they'll be more surprised or horny. Stupid idiots."

The other men joined in the laughter, setting down the remaining girls and leaving the room, shutting the door. Yodae's mind was still swimming, and he took a few breaths to calm his nerves. Something about the way he felt told him that he was under the influence of something more than alcohol. They must have put something in the food or drink. I've been drunk before...but never have I been so unable to react or move, he thought to himself. Slowly, he staggered to his feet, walking to a barrel of water that stood in one corner of the room and parching his thirst from it. Soon, the refreshing liquid began to clear his head, and as his thoughts began to un-jumble themselves, he took stock of the situation.

Walking to one of the girls, he turned her over. She had been a concubine, a pretty one. Her throat had been slashed and she had multiple stab wounds on her chest. She had been killed in a gruesome and horrifying manner, and then dumped into the lap of his guard. Yodae grimaced as he began to check the others. All of them were the same. Throat slashed, body mangled. Fresh blood dripped to the floor, mixing with the dropped food and liquid that had already accumulated there. "What is this?" Yodae said to no one in particular. Making his way to the door, his feet still a bit shaky, he opened it, peering around the corner. Seeing no one in the corridor, he slipped from the dining hall, making his way to the nearest door and opening it slightly. Inside, Setama's men were drinking and feasting themselves, laughing and carrying on.

"To the men from across the continent!" One shouted, raising a glass to the ceiling. "If they hadn't come, we would still be getting paid cheap and having nothing to show for it!"

"That's right!" Another chimed in. "Without them being here, we wouldn't be able to take over their land!"

"Gotta have a reason for war! Nothing like a few dancing girls dying here and there to liven up a country, huh?" Another shouted. The men broke out into raucous laughter, and Yodae grimaced as he moved away from the door.

As he crouched and continued moving, his stub of an arm beginning to pulse with a new pain. This was a setup from the beginning? Why would they set up my lord like this? His mind went to work on the puzzle at hand. What would a few dead dancing girls accomplish?

As he turned another corner, he stopped, listening. To his right, he heard Setama speaking. Yodae had to find out what was going on, and hopefully, Lord Setama would blab something important. Making his way quietly to the room, he stopped, peering around the corner. Inside, Lord Setama was debriefing his Lieutenant, smiling and clapping the man on the shoulder. "Tomorrow I wed Shizune-hime. We shall try the guards for their 'crime' of killing my concubines, and to avenge them and the reputation of my house, we shall go to war with my cousin. After killing him and his followers, we will take over the entirety of the country. Nothing shall be outside of my grasp."

The lieutenant smiled, bowing. "Because of the guards causing strife in your house, the Stone-Regent and his lords shall be on your side. In the war, they shall give you aid, and your forces shall overwhelmingly crush the others. Your victory shall be most complete."

Setama smiled, his eyes twinkling. "Indeed. None shall live after my campaign of blood and fire. The countryside shall burn, and all those who oppose me shall be strung up as a traitor. With my competitors out of the way, and their land and resources mine to use, I shall buy the shinobi villages, one by one, until they are under my wings. Together, we shall strike the Earth-Lord himself, and I shall sit on his throne, leader and ruler of the Earth-Kingdom!"

His lieutenant again smiled. "I hope my lord Setama-sama shall reward those loyal to him..."

Setama smiled once more, turning the man around to look in the mirror. "How does...regent of the stone country sound? Good, yes?"

The man smiled in the mirror. "Indeed, sir. Thank you, my lord."

"This is just the beginning for us, my friend," Setama said, going to the window and staring out into the darkness. "After the Earth-kingdom, the Fire-kingdom, the Water, Waves...even to the Snow! All shall be under my prosperous reign! I shall mold this country into what I wish it! It shall be...glorious!"

His lieutenant nodded, his smile still on his face. "Indeed..."

As Yodae slunk away, he nodded to himself. This whole thing was a trap from the very beginning. Slowly, anger and rage set in, and his hand balled into a fist, quivering with hate. I must find Shizune-hime. We must escape.

"You! What are you doing here?" A voice from behind didn't even faze the man. Quickly, he grabbed an ornamental sword hanging from a fixture on the wall, and he turned, stabbing. The guard behind him gurgled, holding onto the metal protruding from his stomach as he crashed to the ground. Cursing under his breath, Yodae turned, taking the next hallway and bounding up the stairs to his right. Behind him, he could hear voices and feet pounding on the ground. Gaining the top of the stairs, he turned to the left, running down another corridor. I have no idea where I'm going here. Luck don't fail me now!

"Where'd he go!"

"Down there!"

"Don't let him get away!" Voices in the corridors behind him added speed to his flight. Turning another corner, he slipped into the first room he could. Turning and shutting the door, slipping the lock into place, he turned, stopping at the sight. Shizune lay, strapped to a table. To the right, two men in white lab coats stared in horror at him, clipboards slipping from their hands.

One took a step forward, adjusting his glasses. "What are you doing here? This is a restricted area..."

Yodae growled. "Speak again, and I'll throw you out that window. Understand?" His voice quavered with rage as the two men nodded in understanding, standing back. Walking to Shizune, he took a look at the papers and machines, turning to the two in the corner. "What is all this? Speak!"

The men gulped, and one spoke. "They are monitoring her pulse and her vitals. After the procedure, we weren't sure if..."

"Procedure?" Yodae asked, his voice threatening. "What procedure?"

"Um," the man stammered, taking a step back. "The procedure to remove the fetus and cure her of..."

"The fetus? Shizune-hime was pregnant?" Yodae asked. The two men nodded in unison.

One of them made a half-turned smile. "Well, not anymore, and from what our data is showing, she is completely healthy now. So there isn't a need to be worried about her."

Yodae grimaced, taking two steps towards the hapless men. "Take...these machines...off of her...NOW!"

"We can't! Setama-sama would kill us if..." Yodae bounded across the room, snatching a large scalpel off a tray and holding it to the man's neck.

His breathing ragged and shallow, his voice craned into a high-pitched whine. "If you don't, I'LL kill you myself. Now...do it!"

"Where is he?" The Lord Setama was in high bad humor, and this little infraction wasn't helping things.

His Lieutenant sighed. "We have men checking every room in the manor, my lord. So, please calm down and wait. It is only a matter of time."

Setama seethed inwardly, his hand grabbing the rail of a staircase and gripping it in a death grip. "A matter of time is not fast enough." His fist balled, and he slammed it into the wall. "Find him...FIND HIM!"

"Hai!"

Yodae gave Shizune's hand a squeeze, and slowly, she regained consciousness. "Shizune-hime...I am so glad to see you again."

"Yodae-san?" she said, her eyes glazed slightly. "What...what..."

"It's ok. You're alright now, Shizune-hime. Come. We must get you to safety. It appears that..."

"In here! This door is locked! Open up in there!" The voices of soldiers at the door. A steady pounding began as the men slammed shoulders and stone carvings into the wood, beginning to shatter the frame. Yodae turned, looking at the window.

"Shizune-hime. The window!" Together, they raced to the aperture, staring into the space of three stories. Looking down, Yodae grimaced. "It is a long way to fall..."

"Yodae-san, please...go. I cannot make that jump. I can hardly stand, and a fall like this may kill me. I have no chance. But you...you must..." Shizune began, holding Yodae's face in her hand. Another statue slammed into the door, and Yodae looked at the failing barrier.

Sighing, he took Shizune's hand, smiling at her. "Shizune-hime...I'm sorry. I have failed you."

She smiled back, shaking her head. "No. No you didn't. You were very brave. I failed you. I should have listened to my heart. I should have..."

Suddenly, the door slammed inward, causing the wood to splinter. The guards rushed into the room, standing in front of the doorway and holding spears menacingly forward. Yodae grimaced, stepping in front of Shizune and blocking her with his body. "I shall not let you take her."

"You have no choice..." A female voice called from the back of the unit, and slowly they parted, allowing her to make her way forward. Halting at the front of the pack, she smiled through venomous teeth. "Shizune...eet ees soooooooooo good to zee you, yes? Feel better, hm?'

Yodae growled. "Don't you dare talk to her!"

The woman smiled, her hands gleaming as raw steel glistened in the light of the room. "Why do we not make zis eazy, no? Pleeze...for the woman's sake."

Gritting his teeth, Yodae half-turned his head, his hand gripping the scalpel with as much strength as he could muster. "Forgive me, Shizune-hime. Take care of yourself..."

Shizune's brow furrowed, and she grabbed his arm. "Yodae-san...don't..."

With a wrench, he shook off Shizune's hand, and with a guttural cry, he rushed the column, scalpel raised above his head. "FOR THE WESTTTTT!"

The female shinobi didn't even hesitate. Her movements were un-flawed, calculating and deadly to a fault. Her right hand slipped beneath his stretched arm as it plunged downward, and her arm shot through the man's middle as her other ran itself across his neck, spilling his blood to the floor at the same time as he was disemboweled. He gave no cry, nor grunt of pain. Wordlessly, he slipped to the ground, his eyes glazing instantly.

So died Yodae, leader of the guard entrusted with the protection of Shizune.

As Shizune was led to the upper-most tower, Setama came into the room, grimacing disdainfully at Yodae's form stretched upon the floor. "Clean up this mess. Don't you fools know that I have a wedding tomorrow?"

Lang smiled, bowing. "What of heez friends below?"

Setama smiled, staring out the window. "Bury their corpses in the back. I have no use for them anymore. A shame to have wasted good women on a setup that wasn't needed. Ah well...I have what I want. I shall get what I deserve!" His cackling laughter echoed about the room, and Lang's acid smile dripped malice as she disappeared in a flash of darkness and smoke.

Staring out into the abyss of night, the Lord Setama took a deep breath. "Soon, this land shall get what it deserves. Fire and chaos, order and rule. It shall be a land of obedience...or the land will be coated with blood."

Next chapter: As war looms, and Shizune's freedom comes to an end, who can save the land from utter destruction? Can a hero rise from the ashes and protect those who cannot protect themselves?

Next chapter: Save Shizune! Explosion of the Heart!