THE BOMB TERRORIST AND THE RED SAND
My body freezes in place in utter betrayal of what I really want it to do. I never break eye contact with the man as another presence emerges from behind the same tree my back is currently pressed tightly against. Damn it, move, or they are going to kill you! My mental command is not heeded, sending panic in the form of tremors throughout my entire body.
The blonde stares back at me with a fierce intensity. Long tresses of hair nearly seclude one of his eyes from view. "Who might you be?" he questions with a hint of amusement. I gulp down the lump in my throat, hands slick against the kunai in my hand. It doesn't seem to phase them one bit that I am holding it while they stand there this close to me. Either they are careless or they are confident I'm not going to be able to hurt them even if I try. From the way I see it, I'm betting on the latter.
"I-I'm, uh, um…" I mumble incoherently. What is wrong with me? I am a jonin, and yet these two have me shivering like a scared child.
"Deidara, let's not waste anymore time on unnecessary distractions. Hurry up and finish it so we can be on our way," the second man from before says unenthusiastically.
"C'mon Sasori no Danna, I don't think she's from Iwagakure, un. She is no threat to us. You scared of this young girl, un?"
"SHE IS A NINJA, YOU CLUELESS BRAT! We don't need to leave behind any lose ends!" The man named Sasori shouts. I finally turn my gaze slightly to look at him. He has short, choppy red hair and dark brown eyes that look as if he can stare me dead if he wanted to. He is a few centimeters shy of the one before me, but something tells me he is probably a whole hell of a lot stronger.
The blonde known as Deidara takes a few steps towards me; my body tenses, awaiting his attack. "Why were you following us, un?"
"Stay back away from me!" A stupid smirk appears on his face followed by amused snickering. I even think a smirk crosses Sasori's features.
"Why don't you put that down before you hurt yourself, un? Little girls shouldn't play with sharp things." My anger boils at his words and slowly my trembling body steadies. Snap out of it, I tell myself, quit letting these thugs belittle you!
"Your smile is really pissing me off, ya know? Why don't you wipe that fucking sneer of your face," I begin in a threatening tone, "before I do it for you?" I lung at him with fierce determination, but just barely miss him as he ducks out of the way. I pivot around as he takes a battle stance next to his partner. What am I doing?
"This one has some fight in her after all, Sasori no Danna." Sasori, Sasori of the Red Sand. A rogue ninja from Sunagakure who specializes in the puppet master jutsu. Then the other one is…the bomb terrorist from Iwagakure. Both of them are forces to be reckoned with. I shouldn't be trying to fight them; I should be trying to reason with them so I can find him.
DEIDARA'S POV
The young woman before me is exquisite, I dare say work of art. Long, dark brown tresses flow down her shoulders, molding to her curvaceous figure. My gaze scours every inch of her. Perspiration dripping from her body makes her attire stick to her erotically. She has a beautiful, surreal face and her cyan eyes hold a fierce determination beneath that shell of fear emanating from her. And there is something else just beneath that…sorrow.
This won't end well if Sasori no Danna has his way. He won't show her mercy. I usually would not care, but something about her, something I saw in her eyes drew me in. Of course, I could blame it on a seriously deprived sex life I have been having lately, too. It could not hurt to have a hostage just this once…shivering in fear and futile defiance beneath me.
"Hey, onna," I say, grabbing her attention, "I asked why you were following us, un. You should answer me. Sasori no Danna doesn't like to be kept waiting, un." Her trembling has ceased and a more lethal aura has begun to surround her, yet still her movements are hesitant. "Hey, onn-"
"It's Aya!" She says matter-of-factly. So her stuttering has vanished, as well. "And I…I came to serve the Akatuski, ya know!
"You came to serve the Akatsuki? Don't make me laugh. More like you were sent to spy on the Akatsuki and this is the first pathetic excuse you can come up with now that you've been caught," Sasori says, tone dripping with malice. Why the hell would someone want to serve anyone? I have to agree with Sasori no Danna that it does not make any sense. If given the choice, I wouldn't be in the Akatsuki. "I think it's time I put an end to your distraction. If you're not going to help, Deidara, stay out of my way."
I suck my teeth in annoyance. If I let this continue, Sasori no Danna will destroy her. Whether or not she is telling the truth will matter little to him. I don't want him to kill her…I need her. This woman has an aura about her unlike any I've come across before. She has the same free flowing spirit about her that I had when I was younger, before everything had the potential to become my art. Heh, I must be getting soft. I won't go against my danna, but I can do one thing…
AYA'S POV
What was I thinking, blurting that out? It is not as if I had any other options, though, and it is the first thing that came to mind. Serve the Akatsuki? Where do my thoughts come from, anyway? The "World's Worst Pitch Lines For Criminals"? This Sasori character is going to be a tough nut to crack. And the other…I do not know what to make of him. He does not seem as menacing as the other one and seems in favor of leaving me without a fight. "I think it's time I put an end to your distraction. If you're not going to help, Deidara, stay out of my way."
Damn, he is honestly planning my demise any second. I need to get my head screwed on straight. In sequence with my thoughts, Sasori whips out a ninja scroll in one hand without another word. I focus on him and ready myself for his next move. Fine, I will fight you, Sasori…This can't be good.
Before Sasori or I make another move, a blunt pain shoots through my abdomen.
"Nngh!" My breath leaves me in one foul swipe. I fly backwards through the air, smashing onto the ground violently before coming to a stop. I struggle to regain my bearings and locate my two adversaries, ripping air back into my lungs. What the fuck just happened?
Struggling to my knees, I raise my eyes to meet that of Deidara's who is standing where I just was mere moments ago. Once again, his expression is vague. I drape an arm over my stomach and glare back at him, wincing in pain, heart picking up pace with each passing second. So I must fight both of them? And win?
"Danna, don't waste your time on this one, un. This will be easy for me. Go on ahead and get the intel we gathered to leader-sama, un." Sasori studies Deidara for a time as he smirks back at him, then finally gives a heavy sigh and replaces his scroll.
"Have it your way then. Just don't take too long here." With that he wastes no time retreating and sprinting away out of sight. Well, this is an unexpected twist of events, but is it in my favor? Deidara is not going to be a pushover no more than Sasori. He turns to me after a few seconds and reaches into a pouch on his waist.
"Shall we then? Gomen I have to do this, un." He's sorry? Laughable. He's probably going to enjoy every bit of whatever he has planned.
In an instant, Deidara tosses a white dough-like figurine into the air quickly followed by a hand sign. The object goes up into a cloud of smoke, and as the smoke clears, a much larger version of the figure emerges. So this is his jutsu. He leaps upon what I can now make out as a bird-like creature. It flies higher into the air above the trees, increasing the distance between us. I know what is coming next…
A barrage of white figures fall from the sky, hurtling at me. I run and dive to my right just as the earth around me quakes from immense simultaneous explosions. As I pin my body behind a tree, unpleasantly hot bursts of air whip past either side of me. I cover my face with my arms and move into a scrunching position. Shit.
"Oi, Aya-san, this can only end one way, un. You sure you want to drag this out?" He calls out. Aya-san? I dart from behind the tree and make my way to a clearing I notice nearby. Easier for him to spot me but easier for me to get him. He snickers. "Well thanks, un."
"Not doing this to oblige you asshole!" Slipping shuriken between all my fingers, I hurl them in his direction. He evades them easily with his famous amused grin.
"You're gonna have to do better than that, un. Those will never be able to reach me." Never thought they would, but I still need to build up more chakra. If I can keep him dodging me, he won't be able to unleash as many explosives. I send assault after assault of kunai and shuriken, summoning my chakra as I go. He has the advantage on me whilst he attacks with explosives at a distance. I need to bring him down to my level. I reach for my next set of…damn, that last was the rest of them. "You seem to be in a predicament, un."
Damn, damn, damn. I need a little more time for that jutsu. If he hits me directly with one of those explosives, it could be the end. I hear a rustling sound coming from the ground, and I snap my attention in its direction. To the left, no, right? Then again behind me…what? Small white beetles begin emerging from the ground. Not merely one, dozens, in all directions, creating a perimeter around me.
"No," I gasp. I hear Deidara give a low laugh.
"That's right, un. Beetles made from my detonating clay. KATSU!" My heart pounds out of control as the force from the explosion closes in on me.
"Mizu kakuheki jutsu (Water Barrier Wall Technique)!" I summon the water from the environment, forcing it from the ground beneath me in the same manner of perimeter the explosion takes and send it blasting straight into the air. The explosion collides against the wall and dies out rapidly. As soon as it does, I release the jutsu to conserve my chakra.
"Oi, not bad, Aya-san, un. But can you keep it up?" Not likely. He reaches for more of his clay and releases them above me. I dash in the opposite direction, feeling the heat of each blast nipping at my heels. "How do you like my art, un?"
"Mizu Danmaku Pisutoru (Water Barrage Pistol)!" Concentrated balls of water filled with my chakra fire at him. His bird-thing retreats further into the air and eludes most of my attack, but a few clip the wing, making it unsteady and unable to evade as quickly. I have to do it now. No more excuses. I need to bring that thing out of the air or he keeps the advantage.
"You just had to take the hard route, un?" He asks, preparing another bombardment.
"Well I never have liked doing things the easy way, ya know?" I reply, giving a fake, sweet smile. Now. Slender yet deadly vortexes of air begin to form from the sky, their power in my hands. I harness them and drive one through the center of his clay bird. Naturally, he jumps from the bird in time before the vortex drives through him as well. It would have been a bonus, but I never expected to get him in the process.
He lands on the ground with a shocked expression, irritation beginning to bubble up in his face. "Well, well. Water and wind style jutsu. I'm impressed. And as much as like to drag out our little game we have going, I'm afraid my leader will be wanting me to return soon."
"Baka! Unleash your explosions with these vortexes going and it will consume them and spin them out of your control. You will be signing your own death certificate, ya know!" He smiles back at me. Damn him! His confidence is really pissing me off!
"Then let's test that theory, un." Wait, he's serious. He wouldn't…He pulls out his clay, tossing it into the spiraling vortexes. No way!
"KATSU!" The explosion rips through the vortexes. The immense increase of energy pouring through them puts a strain on my chakra. I glance at his smiling face through the massive glow of flames while he stands his ground as the vortexes disperse from my control. I cannot maintain them. Damn it! I cannot hold all this energy spiraling around. Can't…
I collapse to the ground on my hands and knees, panting heavily, sweat dripping down my face. Need to move…vortexes will tear right through this place. I'll be caught in it's path! I raise my eyes to monitor the position of the chaos, but I do not see Deidara anywhere. So he made his escape, did he? Guess he knows I exhausted too much chakra trying to control these things and won't be able to get away quick enough. Wobbling to my feet, I try to run at a perpendicular angle to the force of energy. These things are picking up speed and power at a terrifying pace.
A hand suddenly grasps my arm and pulls me upward, barely giving me enough time to register what is happening. I land upon something soft yet firm at the same time. "That was close, un."
My head whips around to meet the eyes of none other than Deidara. We are upon another one of his clay birds, flying far away from the destruction. He has that stupid grin plastered on his face again. My leg swings out to knock him in the face, but he is too fast and avoids it. Then a swing of my fist. Blocked. Another sidekick. Missed.
"Cut that shit out, un. I just saved your life."
"Why? So you could take pleasure in killing me yourself?" I say as I take another swing at him. He moves out of the way and I lose my balance, slipping over the edge of the featherless bird. My fall is short-lived as Deidara grabs onto my wrist.
"Aya-san, you baka, quit resisting my attempts to help you, un." A kunai slips from one of his pouches and I take the opportunity to snag it with my free hand.
"AS IF I'D BELIEVE THE CRAZY BASTARD TRYING TO BLOW ME UP, YA KNOW!" I scream, stabbing the kunai into the hand he held onto me with. On reflex, his hand releases me, and I continue my decent to the ground. Fortunately, it isn't too far to fall. My feet hit the ground with a thud, but I soon lose my balance and topple to the ground in my weakened state.
It does not take him long to reach me again. I glare up at him whilst he jumps from his bird and releases the jutsu. He approaches me cautiously, blood dripping from one of his hands. It is then I see a tongue-like object snaking up from his hand and lapping up the scarlet liquid. What the hell?
He is on me in seconds, sending a powerful fist straight into my gut. "Huack!" Blood spurts up from my throat and spills out of my mouth. I stumble backwards and fall on my back, breathing heavy and rigid. I have no energy to return his assault.
"You have nice potential, but you made a mistake in casting a jutsu you have minimum control over, un. Sure you might get your enemy with it, but it seems more likely you kill yourself with your own jutsu from what I just saw back there. It was not a smart move, un."
I glare at him while taking in his insults. It's true, I have little experience with that jutsu, but I thought I needed my best weapon if I am to defeat an opponent like him. The end has come sooner than I thought; my energy is sapped. "Go ahead and kill me…nnghh…I don't care anymore, ya know."
"Baka! Who said I was going to kill you, un?" He walks over to me, leans down, and grabs a fist full of my shirt between my breasts, pulling me into a sitting position. I wince from the pain it causes. "I needed to wear you out first, un, before I took you back to base. A battered and bound shinobi isn't that much of a threat. Perhaps leader-sama will spare you if you tell him you're willing to serve the Akatsuki, that is if you're telling the truth about that, un. He will know, and you will be defenseless to do anything if you're lying. But Sasori no Danna is impatient. He wouldn't have given you that opportunity, un, so I had to make him think I would take care of you by myself. Danna would have killed you for sure, un."
My head throbs as I soak in what he is saying. So he was being merciful? Funny how I am not feeling the mercy at all. I continue to glare back into his intense blue eyes. There is something strange within them, a hint of remorse maybe. Yeah right, maybe I'm just reading too much into what he is telling me.
"I don't believe you, ya know," I say weakly.
"Let's go, un," he says, ignoring my comment and pulling on my arm. Pain pierces through me as I try to move.
"Nngh! I can't!" I fall back down and wrap my arms around my sides. He reaches for both my arms once again and wraps them around his shoulders before hoisting me onto his back. He is going to carry me? "What are y-?"
"Just be still and relax. It will take at least an hour with me carrying you on foot, un." Relax? Easy for him to say. What if his leader decides to kill me anyway? I want to protest, to fight him again, but I have lost all ability to do so. My eyes are heavy and I can no longer force consciousness. Darkness takes over, an almost welcoming presence, as my eyes slowly close and I slip into a deep sleep.