Chapter 16
Talks for Now
Everyone stood in silence as Akina and Deidara stared each other down. Shikamaru and Sakura looked at Akina in shock with the last name reveal. Kakashi and Naruto weren't surprised. They knew. Kakashi knew becaus Tsunade told them.
"Senju? Your last name is after the First Hokage's Clan?" Sakura asked.
"When I found out my mother's side truth, I decided to take the last name. I don't use it on missions to protect myself. Everyone in the Hidden Stone knew but kept it for now with the Hidden Leaf." Akina said.
"You know this guy?" Shikamaru asked, nodding to Deidara.
"He was a mentor for my Team. I never trusted him, but learned a lot from him. He went rouge, but we never knew what happened to him. Now we know." Akina said. Deidara chuckled.
"Somethings never changed with you, Dragon girl. Though I see your with the Hidden Leaf now." Deidara said. Akina glared at him. "Now that our all finally here. I know your one, Dragon girl. Which one of you would the other Jinchuriki?" Naruto was looking at Gaara, who laid unmoving. Naruto was shaking in anger and his eyes went from blue to red.
"You! You bastards! I'll kill the both of you!" Naruto yells. Akina clenched her fists.
"The one who bursts in, and starts barking." Sasori said. Deidara smirks. "That would be him, then."
"Sasori, my man, I think you're correct." Deidara said.
"Where the hell do you think you're sitting?" Naruto asked.
"Well. So much for that mystery. This kid's the Jinchuriki." Deidara said. He looks at Naruto. "He's the one who bursts in and barks first, alright. Seriously. Itachi was right on the money, huh?" He looks at Sasori, who was silent as he looks at Lady Chiyo. Akina was keeping an eye on Deidara, but Naruto was looking at Gaara.
"Gaara! What the hell are you doing? Come on! Why are you just lying there?" Naruto yelled. Gaara didn't move. Akina bit her lip. "Get up! Gaara. Answer me."
'The one tail was already removed from the poor boy. It's to late.' Mushu said in Akina's head. Akina clenched her jaw.
"What are you, deaf? Come on, knock it off already!" Naruto said, walking towards Gaara.
"Naruto!" Kakashi said. Naruto stopped. "You know full well that..." Naruto clenched his jaw. Shikamaru was watching Deidara as he got a crazed look on his face as he stood up. Akina stiffined.
"Your friend is right. And you know it too, along with the 10 tails dragon and Akina. He's been dead for awhile now." Deidara said. He lifted his hand. Naruto was shaking.
"Well?" Sasori asked.
"Oh yeah, that's him alright." Deidara said. Akina glared at Deidara.
"Give him back." Naruto said. Deidara just smirked more. "Give Gaara back, you damn." Naruto charged at them but Kakashi jumped in front of Naruto.
"Cool it. Charge in without thinking and we're done for." Kakashi said. Shikamaru looked at Akina. He was surprised to see a calm look on her face, but there was anger in her eyes. Her hand was clenched in fists.
'He didn't deserve this. They all don't deserve this. Why the hell do they want the Jinchuriki?' Akina thought. Sasori looks at Deidara, who looks at Sasori.
"What? Something on your mind, Sasori, my man?" Deidara said.
"I'll hold onto him." Sasori said.
"Huh?" Deidara asked.
"Since it appears that Jinchuriki will stop at nothing to get him back." Sasori said. Deidara looked at Gaara.
"Hm. Yeah. That's putting it lightly." Deidara said, looking back at the others. Kakashi looked around as Shikamaru approached Kakashi.
"Ok. It looks like the guy on the left is the one who infiltrated the Sand and took Lord Kazekage. So it means the other one is the puppet master who wounded Kankuro so badly." Shikamaru said. Kakashi nodded and looked at Chiyo.
"Her grandson Sasori, huh?" Kakashi said.
"Whose the guy you know?" Sakura asked looking at Akina.
"The one that infiltrated the sand is Deidara. He's known to making little bombs from clay he can make." Akina said.
"So that's how he infiltrated the sand then." Chiyo said.
"I should of known." Akina whispered. Chiyo and Sasori was staring each other down.
"Well, my man, I doubt that you want to hear this, but I'll just go ahead and say it anyway. I think I'll take care of the Jinchuriki." Deidara said.
"Look. Our quota is on apiece. Don't push your luck, Deidara." Sasori said.
"An artist must always seek ever greater stimulation, lest his senses go dull on him, my man." Deidara said. Akina stood on her guard as he turned his palm over. She knew what he was doing it after seeing him do it so many times. "Even though they say the 10 tails dragon is the most powerful of all the tailed beasts along with his Jinchuriki, but the Nine Tails Jinchuriki is pretty powerful as well." Deidara looked at Naruto. "A canvas truly worthy of my artistry."
"What? Those pyrotechnics of yours? Art?" Sasori said. Akina rolled her eyes. "Art is a work of beauty, captured and left for posterity. Art is eternal beauty."
"Eternal beauty? Are you kidding me? Look, don't get me wrong. As a fellow artist, I respect your point of view, but true art is fleeting. A flash of beauty burning brightly, and then vanishing in a heartbeat." Deidara said.
"What did you say?" Sasori said. His eyes going back to Deidara. They stared each other down. Akina was getting bad anxiety watching their little banter.
"I don't get it. What's with them?" Sakura asked.
"Apparently, Deidara, one of us doesn't understand what true art is." Sasori said.
"That would be you, my friend." Deidara said.
"You lousy, rotten." Naruto said, getting impatient.
"Nonsense. Eternal beauty is what constitutes real art." Sasori said.
"Don't be absurb. True art only lasts a moment." Deidara said.
"Enough is enough!" Naruto said. He pulls a scroll out and pulls out a Shuriken. He grabs it and runs. He tosses it at Sasori. A tail like thing comes out and knocks it out of the way. Akina's eyes widen. Everyone gasps. Sasori keeps looking at Deidara. He didn't take his eyes off when the tail blocked the weapon.
'What the?' Shikamaru thought.
"Are you trying to make me angry?" Sasori said.
"Hey, easy. I told you he wouldn't wanna hear it, didn't I? Give me a break, will ya?" Deidara said. The tail was moving.
"I don't have to remind you what happens when I get angry, do I?" Sasori said. Akina watched the Puppet Master with interest.
'He blocked the Shuriken without even looking?!' Akina thought. The tail points at Deidara.
"Why don't you explain it to me again, Deidara?" Sasori said. Akina saw puprle fluid dripping off the tip of the tail.
'So that's what he used to poison Kankuro.' Akina thought. Deidara stood up.
"Art is one thing, and one thing only." Deidara said, looking at his hand. The mouth spits something out and Deidara clenched his fist. He makes a bird and lifts his hand up. He throws the bird up. Akina gritted her teeth. "The explosion itself." He puts his hands up and smoke comes out. Wings come out of the smoke and Akina saw his bird he likes to fly on. It lands on the ground. "It's not even in the same league, compared to your grotesque puppet show." The bird picked up Gaara. Sasori uses his tail to go at Deidara, but the bird and Deidara fly in the air. Deidara looked at Sasori. "See you around, my man." Deidara looked at Akina. "Say hello to Kurotsuchi for me." Akina glared at him.
"Fleeing from a fight, Deidara. You haven't changed a bit." Akina called. The bird starts to swallow Gaara and then flies over them. It flies out of the entrance. Naruto runs after him.
"Deidara, you fool. I don't believe this." Sasori said.
"Naruto." Kakashi yelled.
"Damnit." Shikamaru said as Kakashi ran after, but stopped to look at Chiyo, Akina, and Sakura. "Shikamaru. You come with me. We will handle the one outside." Shikamaru nodded. "Sakura, Akina, Lady Chiyo, take the one inside." Akina looked at Sasori, who seemed eager to fight them. "But please, don't do anything rash until Team Guy gets back."
"Right." Akina said.
"We got this." Sakura said. Kakashi and Shikamaru run out to join Naruto as Chiyo, Akina, and Sakura turn to face Sasori. Sasori looked at Chiyo.
"The way I'd heard it, you retired a long time ago." Sasori said.
"I suddenly longed to see my grandson's face again." Chiyo said. Akina and Sakura stood ready as they waited. Sakura swallowed. Akina studdied the guy. There was a cold glare on his face.
"Sakura, Akina. Do not fear." Chiyo said. Chiyo walked towards Sasori. "I am here with you. You both just step back now." Chiyo said. Akina and Sakura got ready for a fight. The knew they would not be getting out of here without a battle and they would back Lady Chiyo. The fight with Sasori was about to begin.
AN: I'll end the chapter there. Till next time.