Bursting Red

By the time we landed at our next destination I found myself unable to walk as the wound in my leg from my fall had worsened. “Let me carry you, hm.” I avoided his worried gaze and continued to press on, each step flaming a cry deep in my throat. He caught me before I hit the ground and I mumbled a thank you into his sleeve, shooting a filthy look at the ground. I didn’t want his help. I didn’t want anything to do with him quite frankly. “Nezumi, please, you’re acting ridiculous.” I stifled a hiss from the pain and no sooner settled into his arms. He replied with a smirk and gripped even tighter, dare I say it was almost comforting.

“Where are we going now? Are you going to kill some innocent children…or maybe killing babies would be better suited for you.” Apparently my anger hadn’t worn off yet. He slowed down and sighed deeply, shaking his head sadly.

“No, I’m not. I’m taking you to a place where you can get some rest, hm. I’ll go get you medicine and we’ll get you better and then…no more of this. I’m finished.” With that I gasped, my heart racing and my eyes threatening with hot, salty tears. “For you Nezumi. I’m sorry, hm.”

And there it went. All my anger, my hate it was gone and suddenly I felt very stupid for acting so rashly. How Deidara kept up his temper was beyond me, it was a terrible feeling and I was glad to be back in my comfortable, calm niche. “You’re not lying to me?” I said softly, turning my head so that I could look him directly in the face. “You swear?”

“I swear on everything.” And I knew he did.

He carried me through an elaborate archway and I recognized the long, decorated dojo like room as the entrance way into a meditation garden. My arm was beginning to cramp, thrown over his neck like it was and even though I was limping the slightest pressure put on my hurt leg was overwhelming. Each step earned a sharp intake of breath on my behalf. “Deidara, hurry. I’m feeling dizzy.” I muttered. He glanced at me and nodded sharply, using his strength to lift me up so I wouldn’t have to walk on it any longer, we headed out to the tranquil flora.

“Stay here, alright? I’ll be back shortly with some medicine for that leg of yours, hm. Try and keep quite too.” Closing my eyes I leaned my head back against the trunk of the tree he had propped me on. The little nod I gave was enough for him as he set back off through the hallway. I didn’t want to seem weak in front oh him, but it was difficult not to show my discomfort. Considering the worst injury I ever really had was a sprained ankle…this was nearly unbearable for someone of my gentle nature. The gash on my leg was vicious looking regardless, just seeing it made my stomach turn. It was a violent shade of red, speckled with debris from the broken street. Like small slivers embedded in my torn flesh. Much more than a scrape, when he tore up the road he literally uprooted the street into large shards of asphalt. And when I fell on it there was no safe way to land. I brought myself out of my gloom and turned my head to face the sun, seeing red through my eyelids the warmth brought a sense of comfort around me. Almost too faint for me to notice a small clinking of metal brought my head out of the clouds and aroused me from the sleep like daze I was in.

“Deidara-kun?” I opened my eyes with a small smile on my face only to find a sharp, metal tail pointed straight at me.

---------------------------------------------------

Deidara placed the medicines he had bought in his hip pouch, thankful for his sensei’s persistent medical lectures for once in his life. Without it he would have been as clueless as ever back at the small store. The sun was warm and the heat was making him tired, he stretched his arms tall and allowed himself to yawn widely. “Hm, I’ve still got to collect that pay.” He said to himself, running his hand through his long silken hair. “Later.” Tending to Nezumi would be his first priority, above all. Suddenly the sun felt hotter and the air was no longer enjoyable, there was a heaviness in the air unlike any other.

What was this? He broke out into a sprint, needing to reassure himself Nezumi was alright. If something had happened to her, he wouldn’t be able to forgive himself. His light, his muse, his life…if that was taken from him and he broke his vow, what would be the point in continuing onwards?

There would be no point.

He turned the corner into the archway and skidded to a sudden halt. Somehow he knew this was coming. Three men stood in front of him, two of them tall and one shorter, all doting the same red and black cloak. “What do you want?” He said coldly, pulling himself straight and nonchalant. Despite everything he had enough common sense to know not to be too brash. He didn’t know what they could do and really, if they didn’t have Nezumi the last thing he wanted was to give her away. If they had her what choice would he have but to surrender?

“We’re here to recruit you into our organization. The Akatsuki, if you will.” The blue one spoke. He was a rogue ninja from the hidden mist as his headband told, the giant sword on his back was also unmistakably that from one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. Not one to toy with. Deidara couldn’t help but snort at their brash offer.

“Akatsuki? Like I care! I’m busy, find someone else.” With a wave of his hand he narrowed his eyes. It was nearly foolish to imagine they would leave so easily.

“And I’m supposed to take this kid as my partner? He’s feisty, but looks like the type to die young.” The shorter one said. Deidara’s eyes widened, partner? Suddenly his curiosity got the better of him and he decided this might be worth his time to hear. If not something to give him a laugh.

“It’s out leader’s orders…his abilities will be useful to us.” The man who spoke had a face that was completely devoid of emotion and the flat look bothered Deidara to no end. It almost looked cocky and there was nothing he hated more than over confident people. Despite how hypocritical that statement was. His black hair fell limply into his face and his eyes…startling as they were he couldn’t tear his own eyes away.

“You know about my abilities? Just who the hell are-” He was cut off by the Mist ninja.

“You’ve been cooperating with insurgents in the surrounding countries, acting as a terrorist and causing some damaging explosives. What purpose are you trying to achieve now that you’ve left you’re village?”

“Purpose? Hm, don’t have one.” Deidara rolled his eyes away. He hoped they couldn’t hear the tremor in his voice when he had spoken. Nezumi, that was his purpose. But again he couldn’t risk giving her away like that. “People hire me to blow things up and I fulfill their requests. With my creations, hm!” Like he would let go a chance to brag, he thought smugly.

“Creations?” The small one asked curiously.

“That’s right.” He placed his hand in his clay pouch and extracted it, watching the mouth on his palm chew excitedly. “This is the result of combining highly-detailed line work and two-dimensional deformations. This is true art, but really, that’s just the beginning of it all.” He said almost dreamily as the mouth spat out a finely crafted clay spider. If there was one thing he was overly passionate about, it was his art. Just looking at it made him swell with pride. Dare he say it was almost matched in beauty with Nezumi. “Though they start out as models, my art lives, it breathes. My art explodes, hm! And in that short moment, it fulfills the vision of greatness that inspired me to shape it.” He spoke loudly, hoping to give Nezumi warning they weren’t alone. Even though he knew she most likely couldn’t escape with her wounded leg, it didn’t hurt to hope she would somehow find a way. All he needed to do was keep them talking long enough to give her time.

“That’s enough. I’ll fight him.” The surly one said flatly. Deidara flicked his eyes in his direction and narrowed his gaze.

“You want to fight?”

“If I win, you’ll come with us. If I lose…feel free to walk away. But don’t think it’s going to be as easy as that.” How dare he, thought Deidara, shaking with the sudden bout of rage that filled his body. The whole reason he attained this Kinjutsu was to show everybody what he was capable of and here was this man acting as if he was nothing spectacular.

Once they see how bright I can make it in here, they’ll know what spectacular is he thought rashly.

“Don’t you ever underestimate my art! My ninjutsu is the very essence of my creativity, hm!” Knowing they hadn’t seen him mold the centipede with his right hand he tucked it casually behind his back, at the same time throwing forward his spider mold. The raven haired man sped backwards, angling out of the way of the explosive. Not fast enough, thought Deidara as he slung two fingers towards his tilted mouth. “Katsu!” He shouted, his words getting lost in the sudden bang that filled the entrance way. Missing by a small amount the swift man stood tall and continued to stare blandly ahead. “Hm, is that all you’ve got? You’re finished!” His enlarged centipede burst out of the floor and wrapped around the missing nin’s ankle, squirming itself up and around his body until it clenched dangerously. There was no escaping now.

“You’d better take a look at yourself first.” He spoke calmly, too calmly. Deidara cast his blue eyes downward and no sooner felt ill. His own creation was wrapped around his slender body, it was chilling to think he was so close to detonating it.

That was close…another second and you would have gone from artist to suicide bomber.” The mist ninja laughed out loud.

“I told you that one would die on us.” Kisame turned his head towards the smaller one and grinned, shaking his head. Deidara was too shaken to take offense.

“Genjutsu? When did you-”

“The moment you looked into Itachi-san’s sharingan, you were trapped in his illusions.” He brought his gaze back at the man named Itachi, wincing at the light that peeked in from behind his cloak. Before he could get to wrapped in he turned away in disgust. And to think he was almost acknowledging his skill as an art, disgusting.

“You lose.” Itachi said as the centipede dropped from Deidara with a loud crash.

“I told you, find someone else.” Deidara said quietly. He was almost glad Nezumi wasn’t there to see his defeat, it was embarrassing to say the least, having been defeated in a time frame so small it made him look insignificant. The sudden slink of metal brought his eyes upward in a rush and he noticed a sharp steel tail erupt from under the short one's cloak. It flew towards the wall behind a bronze statue and pointed directly at what he saw was a bound and gagged Nezumi. Her eyes were wide and even from here he could tell she had tears streaming down her face. A rope was wound over her legs, cutting into the large gash that was steadily leaking scarlet droplets onto the floor. Of course it wouldn’t be this easy. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?! Let her go!” He growled lowly, making sure they knew this had gone on for much too long.

“We’re asking you kindly to reconsider.” The blue one spoke confidently, that same begrudging smile stuck into his eerie features. “Yes or no, her life depends on it.” She shook badly, trembling as the rope cut tighter into her skin and yet, she didn’t stop struggling. She was saying no, she would rather die than see him fall into the hands of someone so heartless.

He dropped his eyes to the floor.

She should know better. He wouldn’t let her die over something so trivial, her life was worth more than anything to him, stupid girl, always finding trouble. “Fine, hm. But if I go, she goes!” Suddenly she stopped struggling, looking at him with disbelief in her eyes. In the end, he told himself, she would forgive him and maybe even thank him. She thought she knew love, she didn’t know the first basic idea of love. But he was living proof of it and for that he hoped she would come to understand. Kisame laughed abruptly, shaking his head and looking down at the smaller one.

“What do you think? Should we let him keep his pet?”

“Direct orders called for him, and only him.” Itachi said suddenly.

“I think we should let her come. It will save us the trouble of dragging that one over there along forcefully, besides, whose to stop him from dashing away without a second glance back? I’m sure she’ll be dead before we even get back to base anyway.” The three looked back at the narrow eyed boy, watching for any signs of argument. He was at his wit’s end. Either they kill her in front of him or she deal with the pain for the time being. It was selfish but he knew he couldn’t live without her.

“If she comes I will do anything you ask, no questions about it.” Deidara said lowly. He couldn’t stand to look at Nezumi, seeing the pain and loathing on her face would tear his heart to ribbons. It was for her own good, after all, she didn’t have anything besides him.

When he did manage to look at her however, a pain in his chest unraveled as he realized she couldn’t even bear to look at him. Her tears had slowed and her eyes, the worst part, lacked that gentle shimmer they always sparkled with. They were dead, empty and dull.

In that moment he knew she would never forgive him.