A/N:
Disclaimer: This is FANfiction. Get the hint?
Chapter Four: Flight
The silence consumed everyone.
Only every once and a while would someone mutter a question, observation, or advice to someone else.
Eventually, someone would address the whole group with strategy or commands.
Right on cue, Shikamaru appeared.
He was giving the strategy. The game plan, if you will.
Most of it slipped right through me. All I caught was that I was in the rear defenses.
I growled. That meant that I was basically a last resort, only giving minimal back up to the main group.
I took some comfort in the fact that Naruto was stuck in that grouping, too. At least he had to go through the same…
I mean, it was ridiculous! The rear defenses were mostly made up of the newer chuunin.
The chances of the battle reaching here was slim.
Of course, Naruto and I were 'assured' that we were needed back here to strengthen the group, and to help with orders, etcetera.
Neither of us believed any of that crap.
I crossed my arms and pouted.
Naruto and I were both slouching on a wall with sour expressions on our faces; neither of us were happy with this.
I grit my teeth together, seeing the clay structure moving closer.
The archers fired at it as soon as it was within range.
Easily, the craft avoided all of them.
I snorted. Did they really think arrows would do anything? I severely hoped not.
Being in the rear had more than one downfall; I couldn't see as clearly. My hopes of catching a glimpse of Deidara faded.
Besides me, Naruto was starting to glow orange.
I didn't blame him, either. I was just as pissed as he was that we weren't going to get to fight.
"This isn't fair." He growled to me, eyeing the several ANBU standing conspicuously a few yards away, eyes locked on Naruto.
"I know." I muttered back through clenched teeth.
"We should be in the front lines fighting those Akatsuki bastards." He realized what he had said a second too late. He glanced quickly at me to make sure I wasn't going to have a breakdown. Or hit him.
I brushed off the comment. Besides, I couldn't blame him for thinking that, after all, they were intent on capturing and slaughtering him for the demon within his body.
"Yeah." I mumbled.
He sighed softly in relief.
Without warning, the building behind us suddenly collapsed. My heart skipped a beat.
Not out of fear, of course.
It was Deidara's explosion.
"Shit," I growled nevertheless. I would have to help clean that up later, not to mention the current issue of being consumed in the rubble.
"Fuck," I heard Naruto yell.
The last thing I was aware of was a small piece of debris heading towards my head.
My reflexes were still slower, and of course it hit me smack in the head! That stupid, big head of mine.
Darkness.
Silence.
And then… light.
Huh…? What was light doing here?
I squeezed my eyes shut tighter to it.
Then there was the back of a hand of my forehead.
Medic, I thought after I realized that I had been knocked out. Stupid reflexes. I internally cursed myself for not working on that more.
The hand on my forehead ran down the side of my cheek.
Okay... that was odd… not standard medic procedure.
They ran down to my neck.
Checking for a pulse? Wow, someone needed some more training; obviously I was breathing.
But that's the weird thing; it wasn't the normal two finger, firm touch. It was a soft graze of the fingertips on my neck.
And then there were lips on mine.
My eyes opened immediately.
I gasped in shock.
Why…?
I froze. Then I threw my arms around him, sitting up, attacking him with my mouth.
"D-Deidara." I whispered when he pulled away.
"Sakura," he mumbled into my hair.
His arms were embracing me back.
I didn't feel the tears spill over.
I didn't even notice until Deidara mumbled, "You're crying?" as he wiped away the wet streams with kisses.
I looked around for the first time.
We definitely weren't in Konoha anymore.
"Where are we?" I managed to ask.
He pulled me into his lap like I was a toddler. "Roughly thirty miles from Konoha."
We were currently sitting in a small clearing in the woods. It wasn't familiar to me, probably because I'd never traveled this way before.
"I love you." I smiled softly, tilting my head up at an awkward angle so I could kiss him.
"Mmm." He mumbled into my mouth.
The vibrations tickled.
"I love you, too. So, so much." He kissed my forehead.
"Where is everyone else?" I asked- referring to the other Akatsuki, of course- noticing no one else was in the clearing, nor did I feel chakra signatures, not that that was a surprise.
I masked my chakra.
"Oh, they're around here somewhere…" he muttered, "Not too far away."
I blushed softly.
We sat in silence for a few minutes. Deidara stroked my hair.
I wiggled around in his lap, trying to turn around so I could face him.
With a soft chuckle, he spun me effortlessly.
I linked my hands behind his neck, "I missed you." I whispered, letting my head rest on his chest.
"You aren't alone with that one." He smiled, holding me tightly against him.
I smiled softly.
"You have no idea how much I missed you," I whispered again.
"Almost as much as I did."
I snorted. "Yeah right. I missed you more." I argued, leaning back to look at him.
"Prove it." Deidara grinned mischievously, pulling me closer- if that was possible- to him.
I chuckled, "Maybe later."
"Just like last time," he muttered. "Is it later yet?"
I grinned. "Nope." I popped my lips on the P.
"Aww, come on." He whined, trailing kisses down my neck.
I rolled my eyes. "No. Don't make me get off of you." I threatened, unwillingly.
"I know you don't want to," he grinned.
"You're right, but still. Not right now. Not here."
"Fine," he pouted. "So… you got knocked out by one teensy little explosion?"
I rolled my eyes, "Maybe that was my plan all along- get knocked out when you're around so you'll come get me."
"If you say so, but that really wasn't your plan." he chuckled at me.
"Fine, it wasn't, but it's not my fault my reflexes aren't good right now." I frowned.
"Oh, it's not? I was under the impression that you're responsible for your own training." He teased.
I frowned again, deeper. "I'd really rather not talk about it."
Now I'd just gone and made him curious. "Why, then?"
"If you must know, I was locked in solitary confinement because my sanity and state of mind were being questioned." I said quickly, in one breath.
"They did what to you?" he asked, infuriated.
"It's fine, it's nothing." I said a little bit too quickly.
"How long were you in there?" he pressed.
I glanced away.
"How long?" he repeated.
"Um… three or four months," I said weakly.
Deidara growled.
"Calm down" I soothed, stroking the back of his head.
"Three or four months…?" he whispered to himself. "And it's all my fault… I'll never let them do that to you again." He vowed.
"Don't worry about it." I said firmly.
"I will worry about it, if I want to." He said stubbornly.
I sighed, shaking my head. "It's not like you can do anything about it. It was my fault for acting the way I did in the first place."
"Maybe I won't give you back."
I searched his eyes for the humor. There was none.
"Honestly, Deidara." I started. He glared at me. "How the hell do you think that'd turn out, with your…" I searched for the right word, "Obligations."
He snorted. "What about them?"
"Obviously I couldn't come with you to Akatsuki because I'm still loyal to my village. And my friend." I sighed, this conversation was becoming more serious than I'd have liked.
"Who said anything about Akatsuki?" he smirked, arrogant.
I didn't have a response to that. He had literally struck me speechless.
Luckily, I was saved by a distraction.
"Deidara?" a voice called out.
Deidara growled in response.
I tried to wiggle out of his lap, recognizing the voice, but Deidara held onto me.
"What do you want, Itachi?"
"I was merely going to point out that there are chakra signatures heading this way."
I felt out. Kakashi. Naruto. Sai. Yamato.
So they'd let Naruto out of the village?
I rolled my eyes; he'd probably pestered the hell out of Tsunade to get this one.
"What are you going to do?" Itachi asked Deidara, acting as if I weren't even there.
"What do you think I'm gonna do?" Deidara scoffed.
"Fine." Itachi said curtly, turning and heading away.
"What are you going to do?" I asked him softly. I knew that they were talking about me, - it was infuriating how Itachi was talking like I wasn't here- but I wasn't sure what Deidara would do.
"We're hauling ass out of here." he grinned that crooked smile that I secretly thought was unbelievably sexy.
"'We're' meaning…?" I hinted.
"All five of us." He said as he picked both of us up.
I grinned. It couldn't hurt to be with Deidara a bit longer, right?
He shoved his hand into his clay pouch and began molding a bird.
"This is going to be squished." I groaned.
He smiled softly, chuckling slightly.
"What?" I asked, "It was bad enough with just you, me, and Tobi…"
"Yes, but that bird was built for speed. It wasn't as big." He'd finished molding the bird.
He tossed it to the ground and expanded it.
My mouth nearly dropped. This bird was at least twice as big. "I was wondering how you all fit…" I muttered to myself.
He sniggered at me.
Itachi strode back into the clearing, followed by Kisame and Tobi.
The next thing I knew, I was sandwiched between Deidara and Kisame.
God, this was going to be an awkward ride.
Although, the bird was bigger, with five people- especially Kisame's enormous bulk- it was just as tight a squeeze.
I wrapped my arms around Deidara's waist, pulling myself as close to him as I could.
Kisame was completely pressed up against my back. It was certainly awkward, especially with Itachi eyeing me.
Of course! I'd nearly forgotten about that…
I should have realized that when I saw how Itachi wrapped his arms around Kisame.
Or where his hands were placed…
Tobi, unlucky as always, was behind Itachi, doing his best to keep from falling off- and we were still on the ground- without touching Itachi.
Poor, poor Tobi.
A/N: I'm so so sorry this is late! I had my internet taken away from me, and then school started. Technically, I shouldn't be online right now, either! D: I'll try and be on time next chapter!!