Nothing but the never ending clashing of metal and fists were in the air. Trees swayed with the wind, dirt gently lifted from the ground, and sweat poured from the sky. Although soon enough, it would be blood that rained down. Sasori huffed as he fell back against a tree and narrowly avoided Pein's next attack which caused the piece of nature to uproot. This wasn't an ordinary battle; this was life or death. Nonetheless, he continued coming at Pein, giving it all the strength and energy he could muster.
"Pathetic." Pein frowned. He effortlessly dodged each of Sasori's attacks in the air. "You call this a fight?" His violet eyes smoldered with agitation. He was growing tired of this rather childish game already. He should have just done away with Sasori a long time ago and got the job done himself. "You're not even worth killing. You're just another obstacle in my way!"
Sasori made gestures with his hands in which the puppet he controlled responded. The metal scorpion-like tail struck at Pein in different angles, but no matter how many times it attempted, it was useless trying to land a hit. Pein grabbed the tail and leaped in the air. After a quick spin, he released it and the puppet went flying back, hitting the ground like a meteor coming down to Earth.
Sasori curled his fingers. Even though the scorpion tail suffered major damage from the impact, that still didn't mean the puppet itself couldn't be utilized. With a quick wave of his hands, the puppet floated back up, pulling the broken tail from inside the covenant of its chest and discarding it to the side. It then reached inside of the compartment and pulled out two katanas; sharp enough to slice a rock in half. But Pein merely scoffed, unimpressed with the whole fiasco.
"It does not matter what weapon you draw before me. I will destroy them and you along with it!" His eyes darkened. "You will know true pain!" Pein and the puppet almost seemed to dance around on the ground, both attempting to kill while avoiding death itself. When there was an opening, Pein quickly pressed his palm against the puppet. "Almighty push." Within a second, the puppet went flying back into the terrain of trees, hitting three or so along the way.
Sasori then saw his opportunity. He charged at the Akatsuki leader while his back was turned, aiming for a weak point. However, Pein was too quick. He turned around, dodging left and right from the sharp kunai in his hand. Sasori kept at it though, he was determined to put the man in his place; to just be rid of him!
A smirk appeared on Pein's mouth. "You're careless, Sasori." Somewhat confused, Sasori looked at the man perplexedly. Thats when Pein completely got out of the never-ending attack and ducked down. Both of his hands came up and pressed against Sasori's stomach. "Almighty push."
His eyes went wide as a powerful force that almost seemed to be using the wind itself pushed him back. Blood spewed from his mouth and it felt as if something were putting continuous pressure on his lungs. Time didn't even feel real. He slammed straight against a large boulder, leaving the imprint of his entire body carved inches within its thick stone base. Blood streamed down his pale cheeks, as well as from his mouth. There were numerous tears in his robe and scratches through out his body and a deep cut that stretched from the side of his forehead to his temple. He was sure that something had been broken. He then heard footsteps approaching him. He barely got a chance to breathe before someone's hand grabbed his throat and tore him away from the rock.
"Hmph." He heard Pein's gruff voice. His grip tightened; leaving him with a limited air supply. He didn't even try to fight back, too weak from the force of Pein's attack. His body hung like a ragdoll in the Akatsuki leader's hand. Light slowly left from his vision as his eyelids began to close. His mind was blank, devoid of thoughts and life. "So you finally understood, that from the start it was pointless to oppose me?" He winced at the feeling of Pein's hand crushing him tighter. "Only now, it is too late to realize your mistake." He grinned. "Now die."
Trembling from the pain and lack of oxygen, there was nothing more Sasori could do. So he humbly greeted death as the conscious of his mind grew darker and darker. "Katsu!" The sound of an explosion setting off completely changed the tide of the atmosphere, and Sasori suddenly found himself choking for air on the ground. Wait a minute. He knew that voice...
"You fucking idiot!" Deidara kicked Sasori in the side, earning a grunt from the red head.
Looking up, Sasori could see strands of blonde hair flowing in the wind. Black attire was suited to the person and an expression that was beyond pissed off. He felt another kick to his side.
"Don't go and do shit like this! It really pisses me off! Furthermore, what the hell do you think you're doing, dying so easily?!"
For some reason, Sasori couldn't help but unconsciously grin. "I knew you'd show up.. brat."
Deidara's face darkened with fury for the man's carefree attitude. Instead of further humoring him, he turned his attention to Pein. "Hey, fucker!" He pointed a finger at the man. "You and I have a score to settle!" He snapped his fingers. "You want my body, right? Well then you're going to have to fucking fight me for it!"
Pein chuckled bemusedly. "This will be interesting." He then jumped in the air and threw six shuriken at the blonde. "Too bad it wont last long!"
Deidara jumped out of the way of the hurled weapons, smiling to himself. 'Is that the best he's got?' He was then alerted by the sound of Sasori's voice.
"Deidara, watch out!"
'Huh?' He turned around. 'Oh shit!' Standing still, the serrated edges of the shuriken cut through his outfit and skin. Luckily, they didn't hit anything fatal. It was then that he realized that the deadly blades were actually homing in on him. 'Tch! Damn him!' He frowned and looked at Pein before putting his fingers together. "Katsu!"
Another explosion set off forming a large dust cloud. Disgruntled, Pein stood in a defensive position at the midst of it. He could barely see an inch in front of him, but that didn't mean he lacked knowledge of his surroundings. He listened carefully; the slightest sound would be the hint that tipped him off. Seconds felt like minutes as the cloud continued filtering through the air. Then, Pein suddenly felt a sudden blow to his neck. Instinctively, he turned around to fight, but no one was there. Annoyed he sought to protect all his vital points.
"Heheh, that will do you no good!" Deidara struck again. And again. Even if Pein was blocking, he was still able to cut through his pitiful attempts at defense and still land a blow. Eventually, Pein would get overwhelmed and drop his guard. It was one of the assassin moves he had mastered. Rather than trying to escape when creating a dust cloud, he found a way to make it into a useful attack mechanism. With his opponent's vision hindered, it didn't matter what they did. If they couldn't see their target, they were doomed.
Sasori watched this technique take place. Deidara looked like nothing more than an invisible blur in the dust cloud. Each time he struck Pein, he attacked him harder, quicker, and with more force. This was the type of power Deidara was capable of on his own. And to think, that this time around, it was Sasori himself who would need saving. Maybe not enough to say that he surpassed him, but he could certainly admit that the brat had grown stronger and more aware.
Suddenly, something like an electric current to his head surged through Sasori and he winced. With the adrenaline worn off, his body was just now feeling the effects of Pein's attack. He coughed up more blood, and every vein pulsated with pain. His mind was foggy and the surroundings around him seemed to be fading. Whatever side effect was taking place, wasn't good. Still, he wasn't ready to look death in the face just yet. It wasn't his resolve. 'Sorry brat...' Slowly, he urged himself to get up.
"I've had enough!" Pein yelled. He kicked up from the ground in a powerful aerial jump. Now that he was above the dust cloud, he could see everything clearly. Or so he thought. A slight tickle on his shoulder made him look back and his eyes widened at the figure perched there.
"Katsu!" Deidara grinned triumphantly as he watched the explosion set off in the air. He knew eventually Pein would grow tedious of his maneuver and seek refuge in the air if not the ground. 'Heh. Too easy!' Unfortunately, it was the wrong time to praise himself. He suddenly felt a hand on his forehead.
"Almighty push!" All it took was a split second before Deidara was sent flying back. He landed head-first on the ground, scraping against its rigid surface.
Dazed from the sudden shock his body took from the attack, he was left vulnerable to Pein as the Akatsuki leader approached. "Pitiful. To think you even stood a chance to fight against me." He knelt down and grabbed Deidara's chin harshly before bringing him to eye level. "Your body will belong to me." He once again put his palm against Deidara's forehead.
"Let him go!"
"Hm?" Pein looked over his shoulder to see Sasori running towards him. "So you still have the strength to try and oppose me?" Tossing Deidara back to the ground, he quickly stood and put a halt to the red head's attack. He frowned. "You're just foolish."
Sasori grinned. "Hmph."
Pein barely had time to realize the true intent of his plan until it was too late. Deidara then felt a swift wind blow past him. 'Wh-what?' He looked up, and the sight he saw shocked him.
Blood dripped on the ground between them as the thin metal lied pierced through their bodies. Sasori's puppet, using one of its katanas, had intentionally meant to strike Pein, but with the red head too weak to move, he was also caught in its surprise attack. Sasori winced; the tip of the blade poked out behind him. Yes, it may have been foolish, but it proved to be more effective than anything. The katana was running straight through one of Pein's vital points.
"D-damn you!" Pein coughed.
Sasori's puppet let go of the sword and then moved next to him. "Its over."
Pein snarled. "No!" He grabbed the blade and began to pull it towards him in an attempt to get free.
'Fuck!' Sasori gritted his teeth and desperately held onto the sword, preventing Pein from pulling it any further. His puppet put its hands on his shoulders as if trying to help aid him. The sudden pain of electricity going through his brain resurfaced. Everything was becoming dark and he was losing the ability to think clearly. He then looked to Deidara. "Do it!" He screamed. "Use your clay!"
Hearing Sasori's sudden distressed words, Deidara snapped out of his trance. "What?!"
"You said you wanted revenge right? Well here's your chance!"
"My chance?" He almost made a face that looked as if he didn't know what Sasori was talking about.
"Deidara..." Sasori convulsed struggling to keep the sword and Pein in place. "Kill me."
He frowned. "What?! You want me to kill you just like this? Not a chance!" he retorted.
"Deidara, stop being insolent and just do it already! What have you got to lose? What purpose would you even fulfill if you let both of us live?! Do you want to keep your body and get your revenge or not!"
Deidara clenched his teeth and looked at the ground. 'Dammit!' He balled his fist. He wanted revenge, but not like this. He wanted to have a final clash with himself and Sasori, not something that already determined the outcome. This... wasn't fair. And as much as he wanted to, he couldn't bring himself to do it.
"DEIDARA!" Sasori raised his voice. He didn't even have to look twice to see the doubt swirling in Deidara. True this wasn't what they had originally planned, but things don't always go accordingly. And there was no time for hesitation. In another stiff, stern voice, he repeated his words. "Do it. Kill me. Don't let your selfishness get in the way." He winced upon feeling the sword slide backwards a bit, but he still managed to keep his grip. "Do what you've been wanting to do! Because its now or never!"
"I KNOW! So... shutup... just shutup!" He took out a large lump of clay and tossed it in between the two Akatsuki members. He put his fingers together. Pein, who had grown even more frustrated still attempted to release himself from the katana, but Sasori's hands wouldn't budge. No matter what he did, they would be stuck in this position. A position that made sure of the end results.
Finally deciding that nothing else would determine their ultimate fate, Deidara looked away from them. His long bang hid the expression on his face as he held up his hand. "Katsu."
As if it were a parting gift, Sasori made one last smile before the clay detonated and a cloud of smoke blew forth. A powerful wind swept past all the trees within radius carrying along with it dirt and dust. The ties had been cut. It was officially over now. Everything.
"Dammit!" Deidara stomped the ground. It wasn't supposed to be this way! He didn't want anyone else involved, all he wanted was to quell his own thirst and pride. But now because of that, he couldn't even have the one thing he desired most. And there wasn't even a single person other than himself he could blame. Another swear uttered from his mouth as he picked up his head.
Taking one final look around of the place he was sure never to step foot on again, there was nothing other than the crater in the ground and blood among the aftermath of the battle. When Deidara made a glance to the right, he spotted what almost looked to be a person. But a closer examination revealed that it was just the remnants of Sasori's puppet. It had been blown back pathetically against a tree who's roots just barely managed to keep it anchored to the ground. Its mouth hung open and one of the eyes had been notched out of its socket; the large compartment door on its chest was closed although a couple of its hinges were badly damaged from the shock wave of the explosion. The katana it once wielded was no where in sight. It almost looked like an actual person had collapsed and died there.
Deidara was actually amazed that at least this much of the puppet was salvaged; especially since the explosion took mostly all of his clay. It showed just how much Sasori marveled his work. Just how much he loved to create and possess things. There was a torn piece of Akatsuki robe in the puppet's right hand, the last remaining remnants of its once-master. Deidara knelt before the puppet and closed his eyes, deciding that the least he could do was pay his last respects. 'I won't forget this. If we ever meet again, you better be ready to make me regret it! You hear me?!' With those thoughts, he stood up and departed, back to continue the life he had been whisked away from.
Ah this chapter took some serious work to get done, especially because I kind of had to invent some new attacks. ^^; Anyway, please stick around for the Epilogue which will be the official last chapter and conclusion to the story which I will hopefully have done soon!