Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Shadows of Darkness ❯ Chapter Three: Getting to Know You ( Chapter 3 )
[ 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: 02.10.2012 | Updated On: 02.15.2012 | Pages: 4 | Words: 5.0K | Visits: 146 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Naruto Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Romance | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 02.10.2012 | Updated On: 02.15.2012 | Pages: 4 | Words: 5.0K | Visits: 146 | Status: Work In Progress
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any related characters. No money is made from the writing of this story.
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Deidara watched her, his eye half-closed in amusement. It seemed she wasn't too pleased with the sleeping arrangements. Tonight was going to be fun.
He stood up and lit a candle that was on the table near the bed. Making his way around the room, he put out the torches, leaving the room only faintly illuminated by the candle. Mika watched his every move warily.
He gestured to the plate of food in front of her. “Eat that, before it gets cold. I heard your stomach growling. It’s dehydrated rations, so I doubt it actually tastes like food, but we don’t have anything better here.” He gave a short laugh. “It’s interesting that we only eat well when we’re on missions. A consequence of not having a village to live in, un.”
Mika pulled the plate towards her, taking a small bite of the food. She chewed thoughtfully for a moment. “It’s not that bad, actually. I’ve had a lot worse.” That didn’t necessarily mean the food was good , though. But her hunger soon got the better of her, and within a few minutes, the plate had been scraped clean.
Sitting back down on the bed, Deidara looked over at her, noticing that she was still perched on the edge of her chair. It seemed that her meal hadn’t relaxed her at all. Oh, well. It had been worth a shot. He extended his hand, coiling his index finger back towards himself in the classic 'come here' motion.
Mika hesitated, then stood up, walking slowly over to him. The bed did look soft, she had to admit. Even if it was currently occupied by someone she wasn’t sure she even liked. It seemed that he didn’t trust her yet, despite the fact that she had marked through her forehead protector. And truth be told, he was smart to keep her in here. If he had left her alone, she would have taken the opportunity to try and escape.
"I'm not gonna bite you, un," he said, catching hold of her arm and pulling her down next to him.
She looked up at him, tilting her head slightly to the side. Though she had noticed it before, she hadn’t had the chance to ask him about the scope hidden beneath his blonde hair. "Do you always wear that thing?" she asked, nodding to it. She actually liked how it made him look, but she was still curious about it. She’d seen many different ninja tools, but never had she seen anyone that used something like this. It intrigued her.
"Yeah, most of the time, un," he answered. He shifted positions, leaning back against the wall with his legs outstretched, crossed at the ankle, and his right arm folded behind his head. His left was rested carefully in his lap.
Mika bit her lip, debating her next move. She wanted to see what he looked like without the scope, but she didn't want to just ask him to take it off. Besides, he had done several things without her permission. Maybe it was time for her to return the favor.
Before she could lose her nerve, she pulled her legs underneath her and crawled towards him on her hands and knees. Straddling his thighs, she sat there for a moment, hesitating.
Deidara's eye widened at her sudden show of courage. That was the last thing he had expected her to do. Before, whenever he’d gotten close to her, she’d seemed almost desperate to get away from him. But now here she was, practically pressed up against him. And she’d done it of her own free will. Was she starting to warm up to him?
He watched as her hand came up to gently brush his long bangs aside. His eye closed when she touched the warm metal of the scope, and when he didn't stop her, she carefully removed it.
After a moment, both of his eyes opened, and Mika saw that his left eye was just as blue as the right. She had expected... Well, she wasn't sure whatshe had expected. That his left eye was a different color, maybe, and that's why he always wore the scope, to keep it hidden. But no; both of his eyes were a clear azure blue, and were currently watching her with an expression that was a mix between surprise and content.
Her show of daring almost made Deidara smile. Someone with guts was just what he needed, and for her to suddenly straddle him like that, and take off his scope just to satisfy her curiosity... She was perfect for being his partner.
"Why do you wear it all the time?" She sat down lightly, practically in his lap, her hands resting on her thighs. She still held his scope in her right hand. His warmth seeped into her, easing some of the soreness that had taken up residence in her body. It was so comfortable that she was able to ignore the embarrassment of being this close to him. As far as she was concerned, it was ultimately his fault that she was so sore; acting as a source of heat was the least he could do for her.
Deidara was silent for so long, she began to think that he wasn’t going to answer at all. She realized then by the flash of anger in his visible eye just how hard this was for him to talk about. "You know that I was tricked into joining Akatsuki. Itachi used a genjutsu on me, turning my attack back on myself. I hated him for tricking me, and decided that one day I would kill him. But to do that, I would need to be able to see through his genjutsu. So, I trained my left eye to be immune to the genjutsu's effects. I wear the scope so that my vision isn't skewed. The fact that it also helps in long-range battles is just a bonus, un."
The name Itachi caused a flicker of recognition within her. She knew that name from somewhere… But try as she might to think of the face that went along with that name, she couldn’t. Hmm. Why was it so familiar? She knew there was no one in the village with that name, so where had she heard it?
Pulling herself out of her thoughts, Mika looked at Deidara for a moment longer, then glanced down at the scope. Carefully, she replaced it over his eye. She smiled slightly, realizing that she preferred how he looked with it on. But the smile faded almost instantly, and she looked away. No, she would not let herself be charmed by him. He had taken her away from her village; she should hate him. But although she was still annoyed by that fact, something about him just...called to her. She couldn'thate him.
A slight shift beneath her reminded her of where she was. Even though she was still a little cold, she rolled to the right, settling into the corner with her knees drawn up to her chest.
Deidara noticed with some amusement that she was blushing slightly. As he watched, she moved, sliding down the wall and curling up into a ball, her back to him.
Mika kicked her shoes off, stretched her legs out, then rolled over onto her back, still keeping as far away from him as possible, which resulted in her being pressed up against the wall. She had allowed herself to relax slightly, and now fatigue was creeping up on her.
Turning his head slightly so he could see her, Deidara watched as she fought against the wave of exhaustion. Soon, her eyes closed, and her breathing deepened. He rolled over onto his side, propping his head up carefully on his left hand. He noticed that she looked different when she was really asleep.
Before, when she was only unconscious, her countenance had seemed troubled; eyebrows knit together, her breathing shallow and uneven. But now, when she was truly resting, Deidara could almost forget how much of a hard time she had given him. His eye narrowed thoughtfully. He had to find a way to completely win her over. Playing with her had been fun, but he wanted to know what she looked like when she really smiled. He knew she had liked it when he had kissed her; he had felt her pulse quicken, saw the fire in her eyes that wasn't from anger, but something else.
It was part of why he had decided to choose her. The last thing he needed was a timid little mouse of a girl getting in his way. If she had turned out to be like that, he wouldn’t have hesitated to kill her, and find someone else who would suit him better. But the night of the attack, when he’d seen her for the first time, he had seen no fear in her gaze, as he had with a lot of the other ninja. No, the only thing that had been in her eyes was anger, which had been what first sparked his interest in her. Of course she had been worried about her village, and the people who lived there. But her anger had been stronger.
Now if he could just get her to use that hostility on someone else, they would be a dangerous pair, the way he and Sasori had been. He wanted that power back; the intoxicating feeling of invulnerability that made him believe he could get away with anything. But he had been arrogant before, and he had paid for it with his left arm, and, more importantly, Sasori's life. He wouldn't make that mistake again.
He was pulled out of his thoughts when Mika rolled onto her side, towards him. Her left hand came out to lightly grasp the front of his shirt. What was she doing? Deidara knew that she was still asleep - there was no way she would do that if she were awake. He watched her curiously. Did she always cling to things when she was asleep?
He frowned a little. Maybe he should move her. If she awoke and found them in this compromising position, he knew she would immediately assume the worst. It wasn’t an outcome that he wanted. After all, he was trying to win her over, and if she thought he had done this, all of his hard work would be for nothing. No, it would be better to move her now, before she- His thought processes were abruptly cut off when Mika shifted once again, this time snuggling up against his chest.
This made him pause, more than a little surprised. From her prickly personality when she was awake, he never would have figured she would be the type to cling to things in her sleep. It was certainly interesting, though. Or rather, it would have been, if she had been holding on to anyone else. As it was, though, he couldn’t help but feel a hint of helplessness, something he definitely did not like.
A quiet sigh escaped his lips. It would be impossible for him to move her now, unless he woke her up. He would just have to hope that she moved on her own; hopefully before she awoke. Carefully, he rested his head on his arm and closed his eyes. Soon, he had drifted off to sleep.
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The first thing Mika noticed before she even opened her eyes was a familiar scent. His scent. Her eyes flew open, and at first, all she could see was a mesh-covered chest. Pulling back, she blushed, realizing that she had been sleeping right up against him. How had that happened? She had fallen asleep as far away from him as possible, so how had she ended up using him for a pillow?
Scooting backwards, she got a good look at Deidara. He was still asleep, laying on his left side with his head resting on his arm.
Her eyes narrowed slightly at this. She would have to move that arm if she was going to finish healing it. But could she get it out from under him without waking him up? Cautiously, she reached out, straightening his arm out and turning him over onto his back. Deidara stirred slightly, but didn’t open his eyes. Mika gave a soft sigh of relief. It looked like he was a deep sleeper – an unusual quality for a ninja, but in this case, one that she appreciated. She wasn’t ready to face him yet; not until she was sure that the blush had faded from her cheeks. The soft green glow from the healing jutsu surrounded her hands, bathing the room in an eerie light.
While she worked, she thought back to what had just happened. Waking up beside him had – unfortunately – been fairly pleasant. All things considered, he made a decent pillow. But she could never let him find out about that. He would torment her about it, she was sure. Maybe she should just start sleeping on the floor. That way, she wouldn’t have to worry about him waking up and finding her close to him again.
A smile appeared on her face as a better thought came to her. Or, she could just push him into the floor. He was the one that refused to let her stay in a room by herself, so he should have to suffer the consequences. She shook her head, knowing that she would never be able to carry out this plan. Still, it was an amusing thought.
Mika's eyes flickered to Deidara's face as she saw his brow furrow. His eye opened slowly, and he glanced over at her, his vision still blurry from sleep.
"Was it the light that woke you, or the bones mending?" she asked, gazing down at him. She’d hoped to finish healing him before he awoke, but she wasn’t really surprised that he hadn’t stayed asleep. It was hard to sleep through a healing.
Deidara was somewhat surprised. Her voice was soft, almost gentle, even. All the venom that had been in her words before had vanished. He couldn’t help but wonder why. Was she starting to warm up to him, or was her lack of hostility because she had just woken up? Either way, it was a welcome change.
"A little of both, un," he told her, gritting his teeth as he felt the bones shifting, sending white-hot needles of pain lancing up his arm. When he’d still lived in Iwagakure, he’d always hated it when he wound up in the hospital. He was grateful that he had a high pain threshold; his trips to the hospital were much less frequent than some of the other ninja. Still, he’d spent his fair share of time there, and he hadn’t enjoyed a moment of it.
A few minutes later, Mika removed her hands from his arm and sat back on the bed. "There we go, completely healed. I finished fitting the bone fragments together, solidifying them and sealing the fractures. You'll notice some stiffness for a couple of days, but it'll go away. "
Deidara sat up and flexed his arm, inspecting it carefully. The bruising was gone, and his skin had returned to its normal lightly-tanned color. A quick smile crossed his face. She really was a talented medic. He’d made a good choice in picking her for Sasori’s replacement.
"Thanks," he said, standing up. He stretched luxuriously, and Mika heard his back and neck cracking as he worked the tension out of them.
Mika blinked in surprise. She hadn't expected him to thank her. "You're welcome," she responded.
Deidara finished stretching and went over to the table. He picked up his cloak and put it on, fastening the clasps. Turning to look at her, he held up one finger. "Wait here, I'll be right back, un." Going to the door, he opened it and stepped outside.
Mika watched him go, then slid off the bed, putting her shoes on. She thought back to last night. Maybe he wasn't as bad as she'd first thought. Twice now she had been defenseless in front of him, and neither time had he tried to do anything to her. So far – omitting the threat to her life, which she still wasn’t certain had been genuine – he had taken fairly good care of her.
She closed her eyes, eyebrows knitting together as a frown appeared on her face. This was troubling. Was she… Was she falling for him?
Her head snapped up as the door opened, jerking her out of her musings. Deidara entered, another cloak folded over his arm. He made his way over to the bed and handed her the cloak.
Taking it, she stood up and shook it out. "Where do you get all of these? This is the third one I've seen in two days."
"Our missions tend to be a little rough. It's not uncommon for our cloaks to get torn. Every member has a few extras, un," he explained, stepping back and crossing his arms. "Try it on."
Mika nodded once and slid her arms through the long sleeves. It was a little big on her; the ends of the sleeves came almost to the tips of her fingers, where on Deidara they stopped in the middle of his hands.
She fastened the clasps, leaving the top one open. Looking back up at Deidara, she raised her eyebrows, silently asking for his opinion.
He nodded in approval, and, for the first time, he saw her smile, though it was fleeting. Looking down at herself, she ran her hands over the fabric, smoothing out the wrinkles. The hem barely brushed her ankles, and she pulled at the high collar, straightening it.
"This is going to take some getting used to," she said. Fighting in the baggy cloak was going to be difficult; she was used to the light fabric of her own clothes. The cloak was made of a heavier material, though she noticed it was still fairly thin. She would still have free motion; the fabric was soft, and would allow for a full range of movement. Once she got used to the length, it wouldn't cause her any problems. On top of that, it would keep her warm at night. But why did it have to be so bulky? Who had come up with these things, anyway?
Ninja weren’t supposed to wear clothing that might inhibit their motions; it was a sure way to get themselves killed. That was why most of them chose to wear form-fitting outfits. Even in Sunagakure, when cooler, looser clothing was preferred, it wasn’t anywhere close to this.
"It's almost sunrise; we need to get going, un," Deidara told her, going back to the door.
"Right." She followed him as he opened the door...and almost crashed right into someone standing just outside.
Mika stopped abruptly, taking in the appearance of the one standing in front of Deidara. He was a couple of inches taller, and looked to be a year or two older. His long black hair was pulled back into a low ponytail, and his eyes were dark- at least, she thought they were. For a moment, she could have sworn she saw them flash crimson. But when she looked again, they were dark and expressionless once more. The top clasp on his cloak was unbuttoned, and she could see that he wore a necklace with metal circles.
Deidara's back stiffened and he took a step back. "What is it, Itachi?" he asked, ice dripping from his words.
Mika narrowed her eyes. This was the one who had tricked Deidara into joining; who could use deadly genjutsu? She froze as his midnight eyes settled on her. He glanced at the cloak she wore, then at her forehead protector. One eyebrow raised, ever so slightly.
"You've already replaced Sasori? How did you find someone so quickly?" His voice was just as expressionless as his eyes, but Mika could sense something cold and distant beneath his calm demeanor.
"She's a medic, which we need. My arm was broken, and she was nearby, un," Deidara said. His voice was calm, but strained. It wasn't hard to see how much he disliked the dark-haired young man in front of him. "Now, I'll say it again. What do you want? We’re in a hurry."
"I wanted to see if what Zetsu told me was the truth." Itachi's eyes flickered from Deidara back to Mika. "Obviously it was. Let's hope she will be an adequate addition to Akatsuki. At this point, we can't afford to have…weak members."
Mika felt annoyance well up inside her. Her eyes narrowed slightly, and she stepped up beside Deidara. Itachi had some nerve, insulting her when he didn't even know her. She glanced at his forehead protector. Konohagakure. Her eyebrows knit together. Itachi… Konoha… Realization flared in her eyes a moment later as something fell into place within her mind. Itachi. Uchiha Itachi. No wonder his name had sounded so familiar to her. This was the one responsible for the Uchiha massacre. Even in Sunagakure, she had heard about that.
Steeling herself, Mika left Deidara's side, brushing past Itachi and stopping a few steps away. "Excuse us. We have a mission to carry out," she said, regarding Itachi coldly over her shoulder. Though something about him sent chills though her body, she wouldn't let him see that. She didn't take kindly to those who insulted her, even if they did frighten her a little. She knew that she was probably insane, antagonizing a mass murderer.
But in all honesty, Itachi didn't look like a bad person. Under the right circumstances, he seemed as if he might actually be worth getting to know, even if he was currently doing an excellent impression of a living block of ice. But despite the air of mystery that clung to him, the way he carried himself made her conscious of the fact that he was still an elite ninja, and shouldn't be taken lightly.
Itachi looked over at Deidara. "Another mission so soon? You’ve just returned from capturing the Jinchuuriki. Leader certainly isn't wasting any time, is he? It's only been a day since we finished sealing the One-Tail. What could be so important that it takes priority over regaining your strength?"
"Master Sasori's ring. Leader wants us to go bring it back, un." Deidara's eye narrowed slightly. "Since when have you been this interested in others' missions? You usually keep to yourself. Why the sudden urge to be sociable?"
"Because it's bad manners to not introduce yourself to others. Especially new comrades," said a new voice. They turned to see a tall figure standing at the entrance to the hall. Like Itachi, he wore the Akatsuki cloak, but his appearance... He had short blue-black hair that spiked upwards, and skin that reminded Mika of a shark. Indeed, his whole appearance was shark-like, from his needle-like teeth to his small eyes. He wore a giant sword strapped to his back, but instead of a sheath, there were bandages wrapped around the blade. Around his forehead was the forehead protector of Kirigakure, bearing the customary slash through the symbol.
He stepped closer and smiled. On any other person, that smile would have been friendly, but on him, it looked almost predatory. "I'm Kisame, Itachi-san's partner. You must be Sasori-san's replacement. Zetsu-san told us about you."
"My name is Mika," she said quietly. She wasn't very fond of everyone referring to her as "Sasori's replacement", but as they didn't know her name at the time, they really didn't have anything else to call her.
Besides that was the fact that, besides Deidara, none of the others saw her as a member of Akatsuki yet. She would need to prove that she was good enough to be one of them. At the moment, though, she wasn't sure what she would have to do to earn their respect. Would retrieving Sasori's ring be enough, or would she have to do something by herself?
"As fun as this little get-together is, Mika and I do have a mission to complete. We can finish chatting later, un," Deidara said, walking towards Mika. "It's been four days already since Master Sasori was killed. We have to get that ring back before anyone else finds it."
Mika looked over at him. "Why is that ring so important?" she asked. Deidara held up his right hand. On his index finger was a ring with the character for 'blue'.
"There were ten rings made, once for each member of Akatsuki's inner circle. We're missing one; Orochimaru – Master Sasori’s original partner - took his with him when he left. We have to get Master Sasori's ring back because if anyone were to find it, it would put all of us in danger," he explained. “We’re already taking enough of a risk by letting Orochimaru keep his. We can’t afford to lose a second one.”
"Are you saying that a ring can be a threat?" she asked incredulously. "But how?"
"As you're aware, everyone has a unique chakra signature," Kisame spoke up from in front of them. "It wouldn't be difficult for a ninja who is a chakra sensor to trace Sasori-san's signature from Sunagakure back to here, or any of our other bases."
Mika was silent for a moment. "What about me? Could they trace my signature from the place where Deidara took me?" At this point, she had mixed feelings about this. On one hand, if someone did find her, she might be able to go back home. But then, the ninja that found her would kill Deidara and the others. And if they weren't killed outright, they would be taken back to their home villages and tortured. Either way, the outcome was death, and she didn't think she wanted that.
Of course, all that was assuming she did get to go home. In all forms, she was now a member of Akatsuki. The clothes and the nail color may have been overlooked by any would-be rescuers, but not the glaringly obvious slash through her forehead protector. She could always claim that she was being forced to do this against her will… It wasn’t entirely a lie. Or at least, it hadn’t been. But more and more, she was beginning to wonder. What if she really was starting to do this because it was something she wanted to do, rather than because she had no other choice?
Her whirling mind was brought to a halt by Deidara's next words.
"No. The chakra signature only works on the ground. I brought you here by air. There's nothing to trace, un." He walked past Kisame. "Now, we can finish talking later." His discomfort was glaringly obvious, though Mika couldn’t say that she blamed him.
Mika followed him, turning to bow to Kisame, and, after a moment's hesitation, to Itachi. The least she could do was appear polite, she decided. That might help the others to warm up to her a bit faster.
Deidara led her out of his hall and into the large anteroom. To her left, she could see a long table set near the wall. There were ten high-backed chairs around it, five on either side, but they were all vacant at the moment.
A low rumbling brought her attention back to the front of the room, and she saw that a doorway had opened in the wall.
"Let's go," Deidara said, stepping outside. Mika followed slowly, going out into the early dawn light, and getting her first glimpse of where she had been taken.
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Deidara watched her, his eye half-closed in amusement. It seemed she wasn't too pleased with the sleeping arrangements. Tonight was going to be fun.
He stood up and lit a candle that was on the table near the bed. Making his way around the room, he put out the torches, leaving the room only faintly illuminated by the candle. Mika watched his every move warily.
He gestured to the plate of food in front of her. “Eat that, before it gets cold. I heard your stomach growling. It’s dehydrated rations, so I doubt it actually tastes like food, but we don’t have anything better here.” He gave a short laugh. “It’s interesting that we only eat well when we’re on missions. A consequence of not having a village to live in, un.”
Mika pulled the plate towards her, taking a small bite of the food. She chewed thoughtfully for a moment. “It’s not that bad, actually. I’ve had a lot worse.” That didn’t necessarily mean the food was good , though. But her hunger soon got the better of her, and within a few minutes, the plate had been scraped clean.
Sitting back down on the bed, Deidara looked over at her, noticing that she was still perched on the edge of her chair. It seemed that her meal hadn’t relaxed her at all. Oh, well. It had been worth a shot. He extended his hand, coiling his index finger back towards himself in the classic 'come here' motion.
Mika hesitated, then stood up, walking slowly over to him. The bed did look soft, she had to admit. Even if it was currently occupied by someone she wasn’t sure she even liked. It seemed that he didn’t trust her yet, despite the fact that she had marked through her forehead protector. And truth be told, he was smart to keep her in here. If he had left her alone, she would have taken the opportunity to try and escape.
"I'm not gonna bite you, un," he said, catching hold of her arm and pulling her down next to him.
She looked up at him, tilting her head slightly to the side. Though she had noticed it before, she hadn’t had the chance to ask him about the scope hidden beneath his blonde hair. "Do you always wear that thing?" she asked, nodding to it. She actually liked how it made him look, but she was still curious about it. She’d seen many different ninja tools, but never had she seen anyone that used something like this. It intrigued her.
"Yeah, most of the time, un," he answered. He shifted positions, leaning back against the wall with his legs outstretched, crossed at the ankle, and his right arm folded behind his head. His left was rested carefully in his lap.
Mika bit her lip, debating her next move. She wanted to see what he looked like without the scope, but she didn't want to just ask him to take it off. Besides, he had done several things without her permission. Maybe it was time for her to return the favor.
Before she could lose her nerve, she pulled her legs underneath her and crawled towards him on her hands and knees. Straddling his thighs, she sat there for a moment, hesitating.
Deidara's eye widened at her sudden show of courage. That was the last thing he had expected her to do. Before, whenever he’d gotten close to her, she’d seemed almost desperate to get away from him. But now here she was, practically pressed up against him. And she’d done it of her own free will. Was she starting to warm up to him?
He watched as her hand came up to gently brush his long bangs aside. His eye closed when she touched the warm metal of the scope, and when he didn't stop her, she carefully removed it.
After a moment, both of his eyes opened, and Mika saw that his left eye was just as blue as the right. She had expected... Well, she wasn't sure whatshe had expected. That his left eye was a different color, maybe, and that's why he always wore the scope, to keep it hidden. But no; both of his eyes were a clear azure blue, and were currently watching her with an expression that was a mix between surprise and content.
Her show of daring almost made Deidara smile. Someone with guts was just what he needed, and for her to suddenly straddle him like that, and take off his scope just to satisfy her curiosity... She was perfect for being his partner.
"Why do you wear it all the time?" She sat down lightly, practically in his lap, her hands resting on her thighs. She still held his scope in her right hand. His warmth seeped into her, easing some of the soreness that had taken up residence in her body. It was so comfortable that she was able to ignore the embarrassment of being this close to him. As far as she was concerned, it was ultimately his fault that she was so sore; acting as a source of heat was the least he could do for her.
Deidara was silent for so long, she began to think that he wasn’t going to answer at all. She realized then by the flash of anger in his visible eye just how hard this was for him to talk about. "You know that I was tricked into joining Akatsuki. Itachi used a genjutsu on me, turning my attack back on myself. I hated him for tricking me, and decided that one day I would kill him. But to do that, I would need to be able to see through his genjutsu. So, I trained my left eye to be immune to the genjutsu's effects. I wear the scope so that my vision isn't skewed. The fact that it also helps in long-range battles is just a bonus, un."
The name Itachi caused a flicker of recognition within her. She knew that name from somewhere… But try as she might to think of the face that went along with that name, she couldn’t. Hmm. Why was it so familiar? She knew there was no one in the village with that name, so where had she heard it?
Pulling herself out of her thoughts, Mika looked at Deidara for a moment longer, then glanced down at the scope. Carefully, she replaced it over his eye. She smiled slightly, realizing that she preferred how he looked with it on. But the smile faded almost instantly, and she looked away. No, she would not let herself be charmed by him. He had taken her away from her village; she should hate him. But although she was still annoyed by that fact, something about him just...called to her. She couldn'thate him.
A slight shift beneath her reminded her of where she was. Even though she was still a little cold, she rolled to the right, settling into the corner with her knees drawn up to her chest.
Deidara noticed with some amusement that she was blushing slightly. As he watched, she moved, sliding down the wall and curling up into a ball, her back to him.
Mika kicked her shoes off, stretched her legs out, then rolled over onto her back, still keeping as far away from him as possible, which resulted in her being pressed up against the wall. She had allowed herself to relax slightly, and now fatigue was creeping up on her.
Turning his head slightly so he could see her, Deidara watched as she fought against the wave of exhaustion. Soon, her eyes closed, and her breathing deepened. He rolled over onto his side, propping his head up carefully on his left hand. He noticed that she looked different when she was really asleep.
Before, when she was only unconscious, her countenance had seemed troubled; eyebrows knit together, her breathing shallow and uneven. But now, when she was truly resting, Deidara could almost forget how much of a hard time she had given him. His eye narrowed thoughtfully. He had to find a way to completely win her over. Playing with her had been fun, but he wanted to know what she looked like when she really smiled. He knew she had liked it when he had kissed her; he had felt her pulse quicken, saw the fire in her eyes that wasn't from anger, but something else.
It was part of why he had decided to choose her. The last thing he needed was a timid little mouse of a girl getting in his way. If she had turned out to be like that, he wouldn’t have hesitated to kill her, and find someone else who would suit him better. But the night of the attack, when he’d seen her for the first time, he had seen no fear in her gaze, as he had with a lot of the other ninja. No, the only thing that had been in her eyes was anger, which had been what first sparked his interest in her. Of course she had been worried about her village, and the people who lived there. But her anger had been stronger.
Now if he could just get her to use that hostility on someone else, they would be a dangerous pair, the way he and Sasori had been. He wanted that power back; the intoxicating feeling of invulnerability that made him believe he could get away with anything. But he had been arrogant before, and he had paid for it with his left arm, and, more importantly, Sasori's life. He wouldn't make that mistake again.
He was pulled out of his thoughts when Mika rolled onto her side, towards him. Her left hand came out to lightly grasp the front of his shirt. What was she doing? Deidara knew that she was still asleep - there was no way she would do that if she were awake. He watched her curiously. Did she always cling to things when she was asleep?
He frowned a little. Maybe he should move her. If she awoke and found them in this compromising position, he knew she would immediately assume the worst. It wasn’t an outcome that he wanted. After all, he was trying to win her over, and if she thought he had done this, all of his hard work would be for nothing. No, it would be better to move her now, before she- His thought processes were abruptly cut off when Mika shifted once again, this time snuggling up against his chest.
This made him pause, more than a little surprised. From her prickly personality when she was awake, he never would have figured she would be the type to cling to things in her sleep. It was certainly interesting, though. Or rather, it would have been, if she had been holding on to anyone else. As it was, though, he couldn’t help but feel a hint of helplessness, something he definitely did not like.
A quiet sigh escaped his lips. It would be impossible for him to move her now, unless he woke her up. He would just have to hope that she moved on her own; hopefully before she awoke. Carefully, he rested his head on his arm and closed his eyes. Soon, he had drifted off to sleep.
---
The first thing Mika noticed before she even opened her eyes was a familiar scent. His scent. Her eyes flew open, and at first, all she could see was a mesh-covered chest. Pulling back, she blushed, realizing that she had been sleeping right up against him. How had that happened? She had fallen asleep as far away from him as possible, so how had she ended up using him for a pillow?
Scooting backwards, she got a good look at Deidara. He was still asleep, laying on his left side with his head resting on his arm.
Her eyes narrowed slightly at this. She would have to move that arm if she was going to finish healing it. But could she get it out from under him without waking him up? Cautiously, she reached out, straightening his arm out and turning him over onto his back. Deidara stirred slightly, but didn’t open his eyes. Mika gave a soft sigh of relief. It looked like he was a deep sleeper – an unusual quality for a ninja, but in this case, one that she appreciated. She wasn’t ready to face him yet; not until she was sure that the blush had faded from her cheeks. The soft green glow from the healing jutsu surrounded her hands, bathing the room in an eerie light.
While she worked, she thought back to what had just happened. Waking up beside him had – unfortunately – been fairly pleasant. All things considered, he made a decent pillow. But she could never let him find out about that. He would torment her about it, she was sure. Maybe she should just start sleeping on the floor. That way, she wouldn’t have to worry about him waking up and finding her close to him again.
A smile appeared on her face as a better thought came to her. Or, she could just push him into the floor. He was the one that refused to let her stay in a room by herself, so he should have to suffer the consequences. She shook her head, knowing that she would never be able to carry out this plan. Still, it was an amusing thought.
Mika's eyes flickered to Deidara's face as she saw his brow furrow. His eye opened slowly, and he glanced over at her, his vision still blurry from sleep.
"Was it the light that woke you, or the bones mending?" she asked, gazing down at him. She’d hoped to finish healing him before he awoke, but she wasn’t really surprised that he hadn’t stayed asleep. It was hard to sleep through a healing.
Deidara was somewhat surprised. Her voice was soft, almost gentle, even. All the venom that had been in her words before had vanished. He couldn’t help but wonder why. Was she starting to warm up to him, or was her lack of hostility because she had just woken up? Either way, it was a welcome change.
"A little of both, un," he told her, gritting his teeth as he felt the bones shifting, sending white-hot needles of pain lancing up his arm. When he’d still lived in Iwagakure, he’d always hated it when he wound up in the hospital. He was grateful that he had a high pain threshold; his trips to the hospital were much less frequent than some of the other ninja. Still, he’d spent his fair share of time there, and he hadn’t enjoyed a moment of it.
A few minutes later, Mika removed her hands from his arm and sat back on the bed. "There we go, completely healed. I finished fitting the bone fragments together, solidifying them and sealing the fractures. You'll notice some stiffness for a couple of days, but it'll go away. "
Deidara sat up and flexed his arm, inspecting it carefully. The bruising was gone, and his skin had returned to its normal lightly-tanned color. A quick smile crossed his face. She really was a talented medic. He’d made a good choice in picking her for Sasori’s replacement.
"Thanks," he said, standing up. He stretched luxuriously, and Mika heard his back and neck cracking as he worked the tension out of them.
Mika blinked in surprise. She hadn't expected him to thank her. "You're welcome," she responded.
Deidara finished stretching and went over to the table. He picked up his cloak and put it on, fastening the clasps. Turning to look at her, he held up one finger. "Wait here, I'll be right back, un." Going to the door, he opened it and stepped outside.
Mika watched him go, then slid off the bed, putting her shoes on. She thought back to last night. Maybe he wasn't as bad as she'd first thought. Twice now she had been defenseless in front of him, and neither time had he tried to do anything to her. So far – omitting the threat to her life, which she still wasn’t certain had been genuine – he had taken fairly good care of her.
She closed her eyes, eyebrows knitting together as a frown appeared on her face. This was troubling. Was she… Was she falling for him?
Her head snapped up as the door opened, jerking her out of her musings. Deidara entered, another cloak folded over his arm. He made his way over to the bed and handed her the cloak.
Taking it, she stood up and shook it out. "Where do you get all of these? This is the third one I've seen in two days."
"Our missions tend to be a little rough. It's not uncommon for our cloaks to get torn. Every member has a few extras, un," he explained, stepping back and crossing his arms. "Try it on."
Mika nodded once and slid her arms through the long sleeves. It was a little big on her; the ends of the sleeves came almost to the tips of her fingers, where on Deidara they stopped in the middle of his hands.
She fastened the clasps, leaving the top one open. Looking back up at Deidara, she raised her eyebrows, silently asking for his opinion.
He nodded in approval, and, for the first time, he saw her smile, though it was fleeting. Looking down at herself, she ran her hands over the fabric, smoothing out the wrinkles. The hem barely brushed her ankles, and she pulled at the high collar, straightening it.
"This is going to take some getting used to," she said. Fighting in the baggy cloak was going to be difficult; she was used to the light fabric of her own clothes. The cloak was made of a heavier material, though she noticed it was still fairly thin. She would still have free motion; the fabric was soft, and would allow for a full range of movement. Once she got used to the length, it wouldn't cause her any problems. On top of that, it would keep her warm at night. But why did it have to be so bulky? Who had come up with these things, anyway?
Ninja weren’t supposed to wear clothing that might inhibit their motions; it was a sure way to get themselves killed. That was why most of them chose to wear form-fitting outfits. Even in Sunagakure, when cooler, looser clothing was preferred, it wasn’t anywhere close to this.
"It's almost sunrise; we need to get going, un," Deidara told her, going back to the door.
"Right." She followed him as he opened the door...and almost crashed right into someone standing just outside.
Mika stopped abruptly, taking in the appearance of the one standing in front of Deidara. He was a couple of inches taller, and looked to be a year or two older. His long black hair was pulled back into a low ponytail, and his eyes were dark- at least, she thought they were. For a moment, she could have sworn she saw them flash crimson. But when she looked again, they were dark and expressionless once more. The top clasp on his cloak was unbuttoned, and she could see that he wore a necklace with metal circles.
Deidara's back stiffened and he took a step back. "What is it, Itachi?" he asked, ice dripping from his words.
Mika narrowed her eyes. This was the one who had tricked Deidara into joining; who could use deadly genjutsu? She froze as his midnight eyes settled on her. He glanced at the cloak she wore, then at her forehead protector. One eyebrow raised, ever so slightly.
"You've already replaced Sasori? How did you find someone so quickly?" His voice was just as expressionless as his eyes, but Mika could sense something cold and distant beneath his calm demeanor.
"She's a medic, which we need. My arm was broken, and she was nearby, un," Deidara said. His voice was calm, but strained. It wasn't hard to see how much he disliked the dark-haired young man in front of him. "Now, I'll say it again. What do you want? We’re in a hurry."
"I wanted to see if what Zetsu told me was the truth." Itachi's eyes flickered from Deidara back to Mika. "Obviously it was. Let's hope she will be an adequate addition to Akatsuki. At this point, we can't afford to have…weak members."
Mika felt annoyance well up inside her. Her eyes narrowed slightly, and she stepped up beside Deidara. Itachi had some nerve, insulting her when he didn't even know her. She glanced at his forehead protector. Konohagakure. Her eyebrows knit together. Itachi… Konoha… Realization flared in her eyes a moment later as something fell into place within her mind. Itachi. Uchiha Itachi. No wonder his name had sounded so familiar to her. This was the one responsible for the Uchiha massacre. Even in Sunagakure, she had heard about that.
Steeling herself, Mika left Deidara's side, brushing past Itachi and stopping a few steps away. "Excuse us. We have a mission to carry out," she said, regarding Itachi coldly over her shoulder. Though something about him sent chills though her body, she wouldn't let him see that. She didn't take kindly to those who insulted her, even if they did frighten her a little. She knew that she was probably insane, antagonizing a mass murderer.
But in all honesty, Itachi didn't look like a bad person. Under the right circumstances, he seemed as if he might actually be worth getting to know, even if he was currently doing an excellent impression of a living block of ice. But despite the air of mystery that clung to him, the way he carried himself made her conscious of the fact that he was still an elite ninja, and shouldn't be taken lightly.
Itachi looked over at Deidara. "Another mission so soon? You’ve just returned from capturing the Jinchuuriki. Leader certainly isn't wasting any time, is he? It's only been a day since we finished sealing the One-Tail. What could be so important that it takes priority over regaining your strength?"
"Master Sasori's ring. Leader wants us to go bring it back, un." Deidara's eye narrowed slightly. "Since when have you been this interested in others' missions? You usually keep to yourself. Why the sudden urge to be sociable?"
"Because it's bad manners to not introduce yourself to others. Especially new comrades," said a new voice. They turned to see a tall figure standing at the entrance to the hall. Like Itachi, he wore the Akatsuki cloak, but his appearance... He had short blue-black hair that spiked upwards, and skin that reminded Mika of a shark. Indeed, his whole appearance was shark-like, from his needle-like teeth to his small eyes. He wore a giant sword strapped to his back, but instead of a sheath, there were bandages wrapped around the blade. Around his forehead was the forehead protector of Kirigakure, bearing the customary slash through the symbol.
He stepped closer and smiled. On any other person, that smile would have been friendly, but on him, it looked almost predatory. "I'm Kisame, Itachi-san's partner. You must be Sasori-san's replacement. Zetsu-san told us about you."
"My name is Mika," she said quietly. She wasn't very fond of everyone referring to her as "Sasori's replacement", but as they didn't know her name at the time, they really didn't have anything else to call her.
Besides that was the fact that, besides Deidara, none of the others saw her as a member of Akatsuki yet. She would need to prove that she was good enough to be one of them. At the moment, though, she wasn't sure what she would have to do to earn their respect. Would retrieving Sasori's ring be enough, or would she have to do something by herself?
"As fun as this little get-together is, Mika and I do have a mission to complete. We can finish chatting later, un," Deidara said, walking towards Mika. "It's been four days already since Master Sasori was killed. We have to get that ring back before anyone else finds it."
Mika looked over at him. "Why is that ring so important?" she asked. Deidara held up his right hand. On his index finger was a ring with the character for 'blue'.
"There were ten rings made, once for each member of Akatsuki's inner circle. We're missing one; Orochimaru – Master Sasori’s original partner - took his with him when he left. We have to get Master Sasori's ring back because if anyone were to find it, it would put all of us in danger," he explained. “We’re already taking enough of a risk by letting Orochimaru keep his. We can’t afford to lose a second one.”
"Are you saying that a ring can be a threat?" she asked incredulously. "But how?"
"As you're aware, everyone has a unique chakra signature," Kisame spoke up from in front of them. "It wouldn't be difficult for a ninja who is a chakra sensor to trace Sasori-san's signature from Sunagakure back to here, or any of our other bases."
Mika was silent for a moment. "What about me? Could they trace my signature from the place where Deidara took me?" At this point, she had mixed feelings about this. On one hand, if someone did find her, she might be able to go back home. But then, the ninja that found her would kill Deidara and the others. And if they weren't killed outright, they would be taken back to their home villages and tortured. Either way, the outcome was death, and she didn't think she wanted that.
Of course, all that was assuming she did get to go home. In all forms, she was now a member of Akatsuki. The clothes and the nail color may have been overlooked by any would-be rescuers, but not the glaringly obvious slash through her forehead protector. She could always claim that she was being forced to do this against her will… It wasn’t entirely a lie. Or at least, it hadn’t been. But more and more, she was beginning to wonder. What if she really was starting to do this because it was something she wanted to do, rather than because she had no other choice?
Her whirling mind was brought to a halt by Deidara's next words.
"No. The chakra signature only works on the ground. I brought you here by air. There's nothing to trace, un." He walked past Kisame. "Now, we can finish talking later." His discomfort was glaringly obvious, though Mika couldn’t say that she blamed him.
Mika followed him, turning to bow to Kisame, and, after a moment's hesitation, to Itachi. The least she could do was appear polite, she decided. That might help the others to warm up to her a bit faster.
Deidara led her out of his hall and into the large anteroom. To her left, she could see a long table set near the wall. There were ten high-backed chairs around it, five on either side, but they were all vacant at the moment.
A low rumbling brought her attention back to the front of the room, and she saw that a doorway had opened in the wall.
"Let's go," Deidara said, stepping outside. Mika followed slowly, going out into the early dawn light, and getting her first glimpse of where she had been taken.
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