Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Shadows of Darkness ❯ Chapter One: Taken ( Chapter 1 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: WolfGoddess_77 
Anime/Manga: Naruto Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Romance | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 02.08.2012 | Updated On: 02.08.2012 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.3K | Visits: 168 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Naruto Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Romance | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 02.08.2012 | Updated On: 02.08.2012 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.3K | Visits: 168 | Status: Work In Progress
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any related characters, nor do I make any money from the writing of this story.
A/N: I'm going to be tweaking the canon just a little bit, for the sake of the story. In here, the fight between Kakashi and Deidara never took place, and he still has both of his arms.
Anyway, thank you for reading, and for hanging in there with me for so long. You guys are wonderful!
---
Deidara slumped against the wall of the cave, holding one hand against his crushed arm. Damn that Jinchuuriki of the sand... His left arm was now all but useless thanks to that brat! And Master Sasori… The blonde missing-nin clenched his teeth. Master Sasori had been killed.
At least his death hadn't been in vain. The others had managed to seal the One-Tail, though its host had been brought back to life. But that was of little consequence. They had what they wanted. The host didn’t matter now. No, he had more important things to worry about.
Wincing, Deidara squeezed his arm gently, assessing the damage. The sleeve of his cloak had been ripped away, so he could clearly see what had been done. There were no visible injuries besides some shallow scrapes and bruises, but he could feel the splintered bones beneath the skin. At least none of them had pierced through. Yet. That was a small respite.
Still, he needed a medic. But where would he find one? None of the Akatsuki members knew how to heal, and the only hospitals were in the villages. He couldn't exactly walk right up to the front gates and demand to be treated. The thought of him pushing his way past the entrance guards and into the hospital of his home village of Iwagakure made him give a tight smile of amusement. No, what he needed was a medical ninja, one that could be close at hand at all times.
His single visible azure eye narrowed in thought. In his mind, he saw a glimpse of long, dark violet hair and crimson eyes; eyes that he thought possessed the hated Sharingan at first, until he'd gotten a closer look. The girl that bore those eyes was a Sunagakure ninja, there was no way she was related to Itachi. He had noticed her during his fight with the Jinchuuriki. She was just what he needed: a medical ninja.
Pulling himself stiffly to his feet, he stepped out of the cave and reached into the pouch at his waist with his uninjured hand. He pulled out a bit of clay and began to mold it. Tossing the completed figure into the air, he formed the seal needed to expand it. Thankfully, the seal could be formed with only one hand. The bird, now big enough to ride on, dropped to the ground and fluttered its wings once.
Gathering his waning strength, Deidara leapt up onto its back and settled himself. He was going to Amegakure, to talk to Pein.
---
Mika sighed as she stood up, drawing her arm across her forehead to wipe away the sheen of sweat that had appeared. She had been out collecting herbs all morning. The newly-returned Kazekage – or, more accurately, one of his attendants - had ordered all the medics to gather supplies, and she had been given the task of picking herbs. Though it was boring, it was better than staying in the village, surrounded by the hysterical family members of the ninja that had been wounded or killed in Akatsuki's invasion.
It was hard to believe that only two ninja could cause so much damage. Not only had they slaughtered many elite ninja, they'd also managed to kidnap the Kazekage, and kill Elder Chiyo.
She had seen only one of them; the blonde young man who had taken Kazekage-sama. The night of the attack, she had been in the mansion, treating one of the assistants. He had looked right at her, and in his uncovered eye, she had seen undisguised hatred at first, then simple indifference.
Why had he looked at her like that? She was certain that she’d never seen him before; he had no reason to display that much hostility towards someone he didn’t even know. But then his expression had shifted. What had caused his sudden change in attitude? More importantly, why was she still thinking about him?
Shaking her head, she looked down at the handful of plants she carried. Even though she had been out all morning, she didn’t have much to show for it. There were no forests nearby, so plants were elusive, medicinal herbs even more so. Normally, she and the village medics relied on the imported plants grown in the greenhouses, but their supplies were running low, forcing them to search elsewhere for what they needed. More seeds would arrive soon from their allies, but they would need time to grow, and that was time they didn’t have. There were too many lives at stake.
Tucking a stray lock of hair behind one ear, she gazed up at the sky as a shadow passed overhead. At first, she assumed it was just a falcon, until she saw how big it was. From this distance, it was the size of a large falcon, but it was up way too high for the size to be appropriate. This thing was much larger, and the wrong shape, besides.
It only took her a moment to notice that it was circling her, coming closer with each pass it made. Mika dropped the herbs she was holding, and her mouth opened slightly in shock as she realized what it was. That bird was terribly familiar, as was the figure perched on its back: the Akatsuki member that had taken the Kazekage. Why was he still here?
She looked around, searching for something,anything, that would help her. To her disgust – and subsequent panic - she realized that she had wandered away from any boulders that might help to protect her.
Swallowing hard, she watched as he came closer and closer. What was he going to do?
---
Deidara had been flying over the desert just east of Sunagakure when something caught his attention. Zooming in with the scope over his left eye, he felt a wicked grin spread across his face. It was her. And she was alone. He leaned slightly to the side, and the bird began to descend in a lazy spiral.
Even though it took him out of his way, he hadn’t been able to resist coming back, to see what chaos he and Sasori had planted in the village. He knew everyone would be on high alert, so he’d planned on keeping his distance, and watching from afar through his scope. What he hadn’t counted on was this major stroke of luck. Finally, things were beginning to look up. It was about time, in his opinion.
When he was still some distance above the ground, he reached into the bag at his waist and withdrew a small piece of clay. He reminded himself to be careful with how much clay he used; though he knew exactly how much he would need for the appropriate-sized figure, he would need to ration the rest of the clay – just in case he ran into any trouble, he didn’t want to be caught empty-handed. In his current state, and without any clay, it would be a simple matter for someone to take him down. Quickly, he molded the clay into a small spider and dropped it over the edge of the bird, right near the girl.
He watched as she glanced curiously at it, but then disregarded it to gaze back up at him. That was strange… Did she not know what the little figure was capable of? Obviously not, or she would have been running in the opposite direction. Not that it would do her much good, of course. Now that he had her alone, he didn’t intend to let her escape. With a slight smile, he formed the seal that would detonate the small bomb. It was small enough that it wouldn't injure her, but it would knock her unconscious.
Mika took a step back as she saw him make the seal. "What are you doing here?" she demanded, one hand reaching for the shuriken holster strapped to her leg. She cursed the fact that she hadn’t insisted on an escort; most of the other ninja were cleaning up the remains of the destruction left in the wake of the attack, and combing the village for any traps that may have been left behind. The rest were patrolling the borders, keeping an eye out for any attacks from their enemies.
No one had expected Akatsuki to hang around after the attack; she’d thought, as a ninja, that she would be safe enough on her own, this close to the village. How stupid she had been.
"I wouldn't do that. You won't be quick enough. I can detonate this bomb with a single word. There's no way you'll be able to stop me in that time, un," Deidara warned, still holding the seal.
"All I have to do is get out of range," Mika snapped. "A bomb that small won’t make much of an explosion. Now answer me. What are you doing here?"
"Just passing through, un," he said silkily. "Surely you don't intend to fight me alone. You may be Jounin-level, but you're still no match for me."
Mika's eyes narrowed. "How do you know my rank?" She didn't wear the flak jacket a lot of the others chose to wear, choosing instead more casual clothes: an aqua-colored shirt with elbow-length sleeves, and a short-sleeved mesh shirt beneath. Black shorts completed the outfit.
"Your leader wouldn't let you out of the village alone unless you were capable of defending yourself. But even a Jounin can't protect themselves against Akatsuki, un."
"You sure are arrogant," she said, putting one hand on her hip, the other still hovering over the pouch on her leg.
This caused him to smirk. "I just know I can win, un."
She watched him carefully. He had an odd speech pattern, she noted. Surprisingly, he didn't look more than a year or so older than she was, if that. "Are you going to attack me or not?"
Deidara lowered his hand slightly, and the bird dropped down a little lower. "I'm getting around to it. You won't be able to get out of range, no matter how fast you are. I've already locked on to your chakra. That insect will follow you until it explodes, un."
"So why haven't you detonated it yet? Why haven't you killed me?" It wasn’t that she wanted to die; far from it, in fact. But she’d always known that dying young was a possibility. It was quite common, for a ninja. But she didn’t want him to draw out her death. Explosions were quick enough… She eyed the tiny white spider warily. But, as she had originally thought, that thing didn’t look big enough to kill her.
His smirk grew a little wider. "I never intended to kill you. You’re far more useful to me alive. I’m taking you back with me."
"Like hell!" Mika spat, unsnapping the clasp on the holster and grabbing one of the shuriken inside. But even as she curled her hand around it, she knew he was right: she wouldn't be fast enough. Even her fastest ninjutsu wouldn’t be able to stop him.
Once more, Deidara's hand came up to form the seal. Things seemed to move in slow motion as Mika drew the shuriken out of the pouch and threw it at him. At the same time, she heard him say the word to detonate the bomb. She felt a sharp pain in her arm as a flying rock cut it. There wasn’t even time for her to try and run as the concussion wave from the explosion washed over her a heartbeat later. Darkness clouded her vision, and she dropped to the ground, unconscious.
Deidara leaned to the side, easily avoiding the shuriken she had thrown, then jumped off the bird as it settled to the ground. He made his way over to where Mika lay and looked down at her. She seemed to truly be unconscious… He noticed that her arm was bleeding slightly where the rock had cut her, but it was hardly more than a scratch. Other than that, she was unharmed.
Still, he came to a stop, nudging her gently with one foot. When she didn’t respond, he bent down and gathered her under his good arm. Carrying her back to the bird, he jumped back up on it and settled her near him. He would have to make a slight detour to one of the bases before he went to talk to Pein.
---
Just short of the border of the Land of Wind, the bird came to a stop at the base of a cliff. Deidara leapt off and went to the wall of earth. Forming several seals, he placed his hand against the cliff face. For several seconds, nothing happened. But then, a low rumbling reached his ears. The wall in front of him cracked open, revealing a doorway large enough for him to walk through.
He returned to the bird and retrieved Mika. Carrying her into the large anteroom, he proceeded towards a long corridor at the far right. There were nine other halls to the left of his, each one belonging to one of the other Akatsuki members.
Coming to the second door on the right, he shouldered it open and went inside.
The room was bare, save for a set of shackles on one wall. With some difficulty, he fastened the chains to her wrists, leaving her kneeling on the floor with her arms shackled above her head. She would wake up soon, and he wanted to be here when she did. He wasn't sure if anyone else was here at the moment, but he knew that she would wake up angry and loud. Because of that, he would need to be here, to quiet her.
The chains he had fastened on her were designed to drain chakra, so Deidara wouldn't have to worry about her breaking free, if she awoke while he was gone. Unfortunately, the loss of chakra would also make it so he would have to wait a little longer to be healed; once she had calmed down and he could release her, but he could handle that. Besides, if he let her go while she was still at full strength, she would most definitely fight him, and with only one arm working, it would be difficult to control her.
Once he was sure that she was securely bound, he sat back, taking the opportunity to get a better look at his captive. Her hair wasn't as long as he first thought, barely past her shoulders. Despite living in Sunagakure, she wasn’t very dark; her skin had only a small tan, and he could see a light dusting of freckles across her nose, so faint they could only be seen up close.
Standing up, Deidara crossed the floor, leaving the room and going back out into the hall, locking the door behind him. It would take him just under an hour to get to Amegakure. When it was all said and done, he could probably be back in three hours. Closing his eyes for a moment, he searched for the presence of anyone else. He knew the first three halls would be empty, as well as the fifth, which used to belong to Orochimaru, Sasori’s partner before Deidara had joined. But, as he suspected, everyone else was gone.
In truth, he was a bit relieved to find the base empty. He wasn’t quite ready to explain to the others what had happened. Not that he knew the details, but he thought he could piece together most of it. On top of that, he didn’t want anyone else to learn of Mika; at least not until Pein had agreed to let her join. He knew that, if his leader ordered him to kill her, he would have no other choice. But it shouldn’t be that hard to convince Pein to let her join.
Even if she had no other outstanding skills that set her apart from ordinary ninja, her knowledge as a medic made her valuable to them.
Making his way back outside, he formed the seal that would close the base once more, then jumped up onto the bird's back. Once he was settled, it took off, heading for Amegakure, where Pein's base was.
To his surprise, it wasn't raining in Amegakure. That was unusual; Pein must be in one of his rare good moods. That might make him a bit more agreeable. The sun was shining weakly through ragged silver clouds, making the village seem less gloomy. The bird took him to the center of the village, where a misshapen tower rose above the other buildings.
It always struck him how out of place the tower seemed. Not just because it was so much taller than the others, but because of its shape. It was made up of various pieces of unmatched metal, each one fitting onto the next without even a trace of order. Uncountable strange pipes – which he could think of no discernible use for – protruded from the sides, giving the tower its bulky appearance. At the top was a balcony that resembled nothing so much as a giant tongue.
Deidara jumped off onto the balcony, then released the jutsu on the bird, making it shrink back down. Catching it, he put it in the pouch at his waist. He turned to see Pein sitting on the top step that led into the building, watching him calmly. The young man was every bit as odd-looking as the tower. His short orange hair ended in raised spikes, and for a moment, Deidara was reminded of the Nine-Tails Jinchuuriki. His hair was much the same, though a different color.
That was where the similarities ended, however. Pein had strange eyes that seemed to look straight through the blonde ninja, instead of at him. There were rings around the pupils, and the eye itself was an odd mixture of silver and pale lavender. Several piercings decorated his face, each one made of what looked like black metal. He wore a forehead protector with the Amegakure symbol, though like each of the other members of Akatsuki, the engraving bore a slash through it – proof of his defection from the village. It had always struck Deidara as odd that Pein and his partner would choose to still live in their birth village, though he supposed he could understand it, in this case. After all, who wouldn’t want to live in a place where you were revered as a kind of deity, albeit a feared one?
"What is it you need? I wasn't expecting you to come. I already know about Sasori's death, and you should be resting," Pein said quietly, glancing at Deidara's injured arm.
"I want to talk to you about a new partner, un," Deidara said, sitting down on the opposite side of the steps.
Pein was silent for a moment. "It shouldn’t be too difficult to find a new-"
Deidara cut him off. "I've already found someone. She's from Sunagakure; a medical ninja. We can use her. No one else knows how to heal. My left arm is useless, and will be for a long time, unless I get treatment. Akatsuki needs a medic, and I need a partner, un."
There was the faintest arch of a single eyebrow. "You’ve talked to her already? Where is she?"
"At the main base. I have her restrained right now, and she's unconscious. Once she calms down, I'll release her," Deidara answered.
"She's still part of her village, then." Pein narrowed his eyes slightly. "This could be problematic."
"Don't worry, she can't escape, and she was alone when I took her. Sunagakure is in turmoil since our attack. No one will notice that she’s gone for a while." Deidara told him.
"Will she cooperate, though? It'll be difficult to work with a partner who is constantly fighting you," Pein said, crossing his arms and leaning back against the wall.
"With time, I'm sure I can bring her around, un." He grinned. And if he couldn’t, there was one other method he could resort to.
This time, the arched eyebrow was more pronounced. "Let's hope so. If she can't be brought around, she'll have to be killed. We can't allow her to go back to her village."
Deidara stood up, holding his injured arm gently. "I know that. Don't worry about it. She'll be an asset to us, once she cools down a little."
Pein shook his head. “Let’s hope it’ll be that simple. We don’t have time to train a new member to be loyal to us. There are other things that must be done. I would have preferred to choose a member I know can be trusted. I wasn’t expecting you to take it into your own hands to find a new partner, especially not so soon after Sasori’s death.”
The blonde shrugged one shoulder. “I had no other choice. My arm needs to be healed as soon as possible, and this is the perfect solution. I saw my opportunity, and took it. Besides, if she turns against us, I can always kill her, once she takes care of my arm. Then you can replace her with whoever you want.” Not that he intended to let this happen, of course. He would bring her around, one way or another. He turned and walked back down onto the balcony. "I have to go now. She'll be awake soon, and I'll have to be there to calm her, un."
Pein watched as Deidara reached into the bag at his waist and pulled out the bird. Tossing it into the air, he formed the hand seal that would expand it, and leapt off the balcony, onto its back.
As he headed back to the base, he thought back to the conversation. Pein had given in without a fight. What did that mean? He had never asked Pein for anything before; indeed, though he had been in Akatsuki for several years, it was rare for him to come in contact with the mysterious leader. More often than not, Pein sent Zetsu to relay his messages.
Laying down on his back, he stretched out, putting his good arm behind his head. His visible eye closed, and he sighed. Now that he had Pein's approval, he would need to keep his word; taming the spitting viper that was to become his partner.
But how to go about convincing her? He would need to sever her ties to her village; turn her into a loyal member of Akatsuki, or else he would never be able to let her out of his sight. If he did, she would escape, and every member of Akatsuki would be in danger.
They wouldn't be able to bribe her with money. What Deidara needed was to find something that would keep her with him of his own free will, but what? He knew that he could cool her temper easily enough, with a little help, though it wasn’t a method he normally relied on. In this case, however, he could see no other option. If he wanted her to be agreeable enough to heal his arm, he would need to do it soon, before the bones were beyond repair.
He thought about it all the way back to the base, but by the time the bird landed, he had come up with no ideas. Sliding off the bird, he shrank it back down and returned it to the pouch.
Once he was inside, he headed straight for his hall. Before going to the room where he was keeping Mika, he stopped by his own room and retrieved a new cloak. Shedding the torn one, he replaced it with the new, identical cloak, and fastened it.
He turned and went back out into the hall, placing his hand on the door to the room where he’d left Mika. Slowly, he unlocked it and let it swing open.
There she was, still kneeling on the floor where he had left her. But one thing had changed. She was awake now, and she was extremely pissed off.
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A/N: I'm going to be tweaking the canon just a little bit, for the sake of the story. In here, the fight between Kakashi and Deidara never took place, and he still has both of his arms.
Anyway, thank you for reading, and for hanging in there with me for so long. You guys are wonderful!
---
Deidara slumped against the wall of the cave, holding one hand against his crushed arm. Damn that Jinchuuriki of the sand... His left arm was now all but useless thanks to that brat! And Master Sasori… The blonde missing-nin clenched his teeth. Master Sasori had been killed.
At least his death hadn't been in vain. The others had managed to seal the One-Tail, though its host had been brought back to life. But that was of little consequence. They had what they wanted. The host didn’t matter now. No, he had more important things to worry about.
Wincing, Deidara squeezed his arm gently, assessing the damage. The sleeve of his cloak had been ripped away, so he could clearly see what had been done. There were no visible injuries besides some shallow scrapes and bruises, but he could feel the splintered bones beneath the skin. At least none of them had pierced through. Yet. That was a small respite.
Still, he needed a medic. But where would he find one? None of the Akatsuki members knew how to heal, and the only hospitals were in the villages. He couldn't exactly walk right up to the front gates and demand to be treated. The thought of him pushing his way past the entrance guards and into the hospital of his home village of Iwagakure made him give a tight smile of amusement. No, what he needed was a medical ninja, one that could be close at hand at all times.
His single visible azure eye narrowed in thought. In his mind, he saw a glimpse of long, dark violet hair and crimson eyes; eyes that he thought possessed the hated Sharingan at first, until he'd gotten a closer look. The girl that bore those eyes was a Sunagakure ninja, there was no way she was related to Itachi. He had noticed her during his fight with the Jinchuuriki. She was just what he needed: a medical ninja.
Pulling himself stiffly to his feet, he stepped out of the cave and reached into the pouch at his waist with his uninjured hand. He pulled out a bit of clay and began to mold it. Tossing the completed figure into the air, he formed the seal needed to expand it. Thankfully, the seal could be formed with only one hand. The bird, now big enough to ride on, dropped to the ground and fluttered its wings once.
Gathering his waning strength, Deidara leapt up onto its back and settled himself. He was going to Amegakure, to talk to Pein.
---
Mika sighed as she stood up, drawing her arm across her forehead to wipe away the sheen of sweat that had appeared. She had been out collecting herbs all morning. The newly-returned Kazekage – or, more accurately, one of his attendants - had ordered all the medics to gather supplies, and she had been given the task of picking herbs. Though it was boring, it was better than staying in the village, surrounded by the hysterical family members of the ninja that had been wounded or killed in Akatsuki's invasion.
It was hard to believe that only two ninja could cause so much damage. Not only had they slaughtered many elite ninja, they'd also managed to kidnap the Kazekage, and kill Elder Chiyo.
She had seen only one of them; the blonde young man who had taken Kazekage-sama. The night of the attack, she had been in the mansion, treating one of the assistants. He had looked right at her, and in his uncovered eye, she had seen undisguised hatred at first, then simple indifference.
Why had he looked at her like that? She was certain that she’d never seen him before; he had no reason to display that much hostility towards someone he didn’t even know. But then his expression had shifted. What had caused his sudden change in attitude? More importantly, why was she still thinking about him?
Shaking her head, she looked down at the handful of plants she carried. Even though she had been out all morning, she didn’t have much to show for it. There were no forests nearby, so plants were elusive, medicinal herbs even more so. Normally, she and the village medics relied on the imported plants grown in the greenhouses, but their supplies were running low, forcing them to search elsewhere for what they needed. More seeds would arrive soon from their allies, but they would need time to grow, and that was time they didn’t have. There were too many lives at stake.
Tucking a stray lock of hair behind one ear, she gazed up at the sky as a shadow passed overhead. At first, she assumed it was just a falcon, until she saw how big it was. From this distance, it was the size of a large falcon, but it was up way too high for the size to be appropriate. This thing was much larger, and the wrong shape, besides.
It only took her a moment to notice that it was circling her, coming closer with each pass it made. Mika dropped the herbs she was holding, and her mouth opened slightly in shock as she realized what it was. That bird was terribly familiar, as was the figure perched on its back: the Akatsuki member that had taken the Kazekage. Why was he still here?
She looked around, searching for something,anything, that would help her. To her disgust – and subsequent panic - she realized that she had wandered away from any boulders that might help to protect her.
Swallowing hard, she watched as he came closer and closer. What was he going to do?
---
Deidara had been flying over the desert just east of Sunagakure when something caught his attention. Zooming in with the scope over his left eye, he felt a wicked grin spread across his face. It was her. And she was alone. He leaned slightly to the side, and the bird began to descend in a lazy spiral.
Even though it took him out of his way, he hadn’t been able to resist coming back, to see what chaos he and Sasori had planted in the village. He knew everyone would be on high alert, so he’d planned on keeping his distance, and watching from afar through his scope. What he hadn’t counted on was this major stroke of luck. Finally, things were beginning to look up. It was about time, in his opinion.
When he was still some distance above the ground, he reached into the bag at his waist and withdrew a small piece of clay. He reminded himself to be careful with how much clay he used; though he knew exactly how much he would need for the appropriate-sized figure, he would need to ration the rest of the clay – just in case he ran into any trouble, he didn’t want to be caught empty-handed. In his current state, and without any clay, it would be a simple matter for someone to take him down. Quickly, he molded the clay into a small spider and dropped it over the edge of the bird, right near the girl.
He watched as she glanced curiously at it, but then disregarded it to gaze back up at him. That was strange… Did she not know what the little figure was capable of? Obviously not, or she would have been running in the opposite direction. Not that it would do her much good, of course. Now that he had her alone, he didn’t intend to let her escape. With a slight smile, he formed the seal that would detonate the small bomb. It was small enough that it wouldn't injure her, but it would knock her unconscious.
Mika took a step back as she saw him make the seal. "What are you doing here?" she demanded, one hand reaching for the shuriken holster strapped to her leg. She cursed the fact that she hadn’t insisted on an escort; most of the other ninja were cleaning up the remains of the destruction left in the wake of the attack, and combing the village for any traps that may have been left behind. The rest were patrolling the borders, keeping an eye out for any attacks from their enemies.
No one had expected Akatsuki to hang around after the attack; she’d thought, as a ninja, that she would be safe enough on her own, this close to the village. How stupid she had been.
"I wouldn't do that. You won't be quick enough. I can detonate this bomb with a single word. There's no way you'll be able to stop me in that time, un," Deidara warned, still holding the seal.
"All I have to do is get out of range," Mika snapped. "A bomb that small won’t make much of an explosion. Now answer me. What are you doing here?"
"Just passing through, un," he said silkily. "Surely you don't intend to fight me alone. You may be Jounin-level, but you're still no match for me."
Mika's eyes narrowed. "How do you know my rank?" She didn't wear the flak jacket a lot of the others chose to wear, choosing instead more casual clothes: an aqua-colored shirt with elbow-length sleeves, and a short-sleeved mesh shirt beneath. Black shorts completed the outfit.
"Your leader wouldn't let you out of the village alone unless you were capable of defending yourself. But even a Jounin can't protect themselves against Akatsuki, un."
"You sure are arrogant," she said, putting one hand on her hip, the other still hovering over the pouch on her leg.
This caused him to smirk. "I just know I can win, un."
She watched him carefully. He had an odd speech pattern, she noted. Surprisingly, he didn't look more than a year or so older than she was, if that. "Are you going to attack me or not?"
Deidara lowered his hand slightly, and the bird dropped down a little lower. "I'm getting around to it. You won't be able to get out of range, no matter how fast you are. I've already locked on to your chakra. That insect will follow you until it explodes, un."
"So why haven't you detonated it yet? Why haven't you killed me?" It wasn’t that she wanted to die; far from it, in fact. But she’d always known that dying young was a possibility. It was quite common, for a ninja. But she didn’t want him to draw out her death. Explosions were quick enough… She eyed the tiny white spider warily. But, as she had originally thought, that thing didn’t look big enough to kill her.
His smirk grew a little wider. "I never intended to kill you. You’re far more useful to me alive. I’m taking you back with me."
"Like hell!" Mika spat, unsnapping the clasp on the holster and grabbing one of the shuriken inside. But even as she curled her hand around it, she knew he was right: she wouldn't be fast enough. Even her fastest ninjutsu wouldn’t be able to stop him.
Once more, Deidara's hand came up to form the seal. Things seemed to move in slow motion as Mika drew the shuriken out of the pouch and threw it at him. At the same time, she heard him say the word to detonate the bomb. She felt a sharp pain in her arm as a flying rock cut it. There wasn’t even time for her to try and run as the concussion wave from the explosion washed over her a heartbeat later. Darkness clouded her vision, and she dropped to the ground, unconscious.
Deidara leaned to the side, easily avoiding the shuriken she had thrown, then jumped off the bird as it settled to the ground. He made his way over to where Mika lay and looked down at her. She seemed to truly be unconscious… He noticed that her arm was bleeding slightly where the rock had cut her, but it was hardly more than a scratch. Other than that, she was unharmed.
Still, he came to a stop, nudging her gently with one foot. When she didn’t respond, he bent down and gathered her under his good arm. Carrying her back to the bird, he jumped back up on it and settled her near him. He would have to make a slight detour to one of the bases before he went to talk to Pein.
---
Just short of the border of the Land of Wind, the bird came to a stop at the base of a cliff. Deidara leapt off and went to the wall of earth. Forming several seals, he placed his hand against the cliff face. For several seconds, nothing happened. But then, a low rumbling reached his ears. The wall in front of him cracked open, revealing a doorway large enough for him to walk through.
He returned to the bird and retrieved Mika. Carrying her into the large anteroom, he proceeded towards a long corridor at the far right. There were nine other halls to the left of his, each one belonging to one of the other Akatsuki members.
Coming to the second door on the right, he shouldered it open and went inside.
The room was bare, save for a set of shackles on one wall. With some difficulty, he fastened the chains to her wrists, leaving her kneeling on the floor with her arms shackled above her head. She would wake up soon, and he wanted to be here when she did. He wasn't sure if anyone else was here at the moment, but he knew that she would wake up angry and loud. Because of that, he would need to be here, to quiet her.
The chains he had fastened on her were designed to drain chakra, so Deidara wouldn't have to worry about her breaking free, if she awoke while he was gone. Unfortunately, the loss of chakra would also make it so he would have to wait a little longer to be healed; once she had calmed down and he could release her, but he could handle that. Besides, if he let her go while she was still at full strength, she would most definitely fight him, and with only one arm working, it would be difficult to control her.
Once he was sure that she was securely bound, he sat back, taking the opportunity to get a better look at his captive. Her hair wasn't as long as he first thought, barely past her shoulders. Despite living in Sunagakure, she wasn’t very dark; her skin had only a small tan, and he could see a light dusting of freckles across her nose, so faint they could only be seen up close.
Standing up, Deidara crossed the floor, leaving the room and going back out into the hall, locking the door behind him. It would take him just under an hour to get to Amegakure. When it was all said and done, he could probably be back in three hours. Closing his eyes for a moment, he searched for the presence of anyone else. He knew the first three halls would be empty, as well as the fifth, which used to belong to Orochimaru, Sasori’s partner before Deidara had joined. But, as he suspected, everyone else was gone.
In truth, he was a bit relieved to find the base empty. He wasn’t quite ready to explain to the others what had happened. Not that he knew the details, but he thought he could piece together most of it. On top of that, he didn’t want anyone else to learn of Mika; at least not until Pein had agreed to let her join. He knew that, if his leader ordered him to kill her, he would have no other choice. But it shouldn’t be that hard to convince Pein to let her join.
Even if she had no other outstanding skills that set her apart from ordinary ninja, her knowledge as a medic made her valuable to them.
Making his way back outside, he formed the seal that would close the base once more, then jumped up onto the bird's back. Once he was settled, it took off, heading for Amegakure, where Pein's base was.
To his surprise, it wasn't raining in Amegakure. That was unusual; Pein must be in one of his rare good moods. That might make him a bit more agreeable. The sun was shining weakly through ragged silver clouds, making the village seem less gloomy. The bird took him to the center of the village, where a misshapen tower rose above the other buildings.
It always struck him how out of place the tower seemed. Not just because it was so much taller than the others, but because of its shape. It was made up of various pieces of unmatched metal, each one fitting onto the next without even a trace of order. Uncountable strange pipes – which he could think of no discernible use for – protruded from the sides, giving the tower its bulky appearance. At the top was a balcony that resembled nothing so much as a giant tongue.
Deidara jumped off onto the balcony, then released the jutsu on the bird, making it shrink back down. Catching it, he put it in the pouch at his waist. He turned to see Pein sitting on the top step that led into the building, watching him calmly. The young man was every bit as odd-looking as the tower. His short orange hair ended in raised spikes, and for a moment, Deidara was reminded of the Nine-Tails Jinchuuriki. His hair was much the same, though a different color.
That was where the similarities ended, however. Pein had strange eyes that seemed to look straight through the blonde ninja, instead of at him. There were rings around the pupils, and the eye itself was an odd mixture of silver and pale lavender. Several piercings decorated his face, each one made of what looked like black metal. He wore a forehead protector with the Amegakure symbol, though like each of the other members of Akatsuki, the engraving bore a slash through it – proof of his defection from the village. It had always struck Deidara as odd that Pein and his partner would choose to still live in their birth village, though he supposed he could understand it, in this case. After all, who wouldn’t want to live in a place where you were revered as a kind of deity, albeit a feared one?
"What is it you need? I wasn't expecting you to come. I already know about Sasori's death, and you should be resting," Pein said quietly, glancing at Deidara's injured arm.
"I want to talk to you about a new partner, un," Deidara said, sitting down on the opposite side of the steps.
Pein was silent for a moment. "It shouldn’t be too difficult to find a new-"
Deidara cut him off. "I've already found someone. She's from Sunagakure; a medical ninja. We can use her. No one else knows how to heal. My left arm is useless, and will be for a long time, unless I get treatment. Akatsuki needs a medic, and I need a partner, un."
There was the faintest arch of a single eyebrow. "You’ve talked to her already? Where is she?"
"At the main base. I have her restrained right now, and she's unconscious. Once she calms down, I'll release her," Deidara answered.
"She's still part of her village, then." Pein narrowed his eyes slightly. "This could be problematic."
"Don't worry, she can't escape, and she was alone when I took her. Sunagakure is in turmoil since our attack. No one will notice that she’s gone for a while." Deidara told him.
"Will she cooperate, though? It'll be difficult to work with a partner who is constantly fighting you," Pein said, crossing his arms and leaning back against the wall.
"With time, I'm sure I can bring her around, un." He grinned. And if he couldn’t, there was one other method he could resort to.
This time, the arched eyebrow was more pronounced. "Let's hope so. If she can't be brought around, she'll have to be killed. We can't allow her to go back to her village."
Deidara stood up, holding his injured arm gently. "I know that. Don't worry about it. She'll be an asset to us, once she cools down a little."
Pein shook his head. “Let’s hope it’ll be that simple. We don’t have time to train a new member to be loyal to us. There are other things that must be done. I would have preferred to choose a member I know can be trusted. I wasn’t expecting you to take it into your own hands to find a new partner, especially not so soon after Sasori’s death.”
The blonde shrugged one shoulder. “I had no other choice. My arm needs to be healed as soon as possible, and this is the perfect solution. I saw my opportunity, and took it. Besides, if she turns against us, I can always kill her, once she takes care of my arm. Then you can replace her with whoever you want.” Not that he intended to let this happen, of course. He would bring her around, one way or another. He turned and walked back down onto the balcony. "I have to go now. She'll be awake soon, and I'll have to be there to calm her, un."
Pein watched as Deidara reached into the bag at his waist and pulled out the bird. Tossing it into the air, he formed the hand seal that would expand it, and leapt off the balcony, onto its back.
As he headed back to the base, he thought back to the conversation. Pein had given in without a fight. What did that mean? He had never asked Pein for anything before; indeed, though he had been in Akatsuki for several years, it was rare for him to come in contact with the mysterious leader. More often than not, Pein sent Zetsu to relay his messages.
Laying down on his back, he stretched out, putting his good arm behind his head. His visible eye closed, and he sighed. Now that he had Pein's approval, he would need to keep his word; taming the spitting viper that was to become his partner.
But how to go about convincing her? He would need to sever her ties to her village; turn her into a loyal member of Akatsuki, or else he would never be able to let her out of his sight. If he did, she would escape, and every member of Akatsuki would be in danger.
They wouldn't be able to bribe her with money. What Deidara needed was to find something that would keep her with him of his own free will, but what? He knew that he could cool her temper easily enough, with a little help, though it wasn’t a method he normally relied on. In this case, however, he could see no other option. If he wanted her to be agreeable enough to heal his arm, he would need to do it soon, before the bones were beyond repair.
He thought about it all the way back to the base, but by the time the bird landed, he had come up with no ideas. Sliding off the bird, he shrank it back down and returned it to the pouch.
Once he was inside, he headed straight for his hall. Before going to the room where he was keeping Mika, he stopped by his own room and retrieved a new cloak. Shedding the torn one, he replaced it with the new, identical cloak, and fastened it.
He turned and went back out into the hall, placing his hand on the door to the room where he’d left Mika. Slowly, he unlocked it and let it swing open.
There she was, still kneeling on the floor where he had left her. But one thing had changed. She was awake now, and she was extremely pissed off.
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