Silver Lining

Chapter Thirteen: What it Takes
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They arrived in the large industrial city where Yotsuba operated in late afternoon and found a small inn on the outskirts where they would lay low until nightfall. Now the three of them sat in a small dimly lit room with the window open for ventilation, making any last minute preparations to their weapons and waiting for darkness to descend.

Sakura hadn’t said much of anything for the last two days, Deidara didn’t really know what to make of that, and Kisame didn’t want to interfere with whatever was going on between them. And so here they were now with only the faint scraping of a whetstone against a kunai to break the rather heavy silence.

Once the storm passed they had gathered what equipment they would need and left Kisame’s house. They traveled first to the main city on the small island, a bustling and noisy seaport where they obtained the information they needed. Since both merchants were involved in the shipping industry as well as the black market, it was relatively easy to get information about them, such as their base of operations. Yotsuba’s was already known, but they had no idea where to find Shingo. But all they had to do was visit the shadier establishments and ask around, letting their less than friendly appearances convince those they talked with to spill details. They had left the island the next morning and flown through the day until they reached their destination.

Deidara inspected his clay to make sure there were no inconsistencies, and occasionally stole troubled glances at the pink haired kunoichi sitting at the other end of the bed with her sharpening kit. She wasn’t really angry with him, but she wasn’t happy either. She had told him she was worried about drawing the wrong kind of attention to themselves, but he also knew she didn’t like the idea of outright destroying the two merchants. She hadn’t said anything because she accepted that it was them or her and had to be done, but she was still a compassionate person and didn’t like to be ruthless. But for so many years that was all he knew, all he was allowed to be, and that was where their biggest differences lay. It may be the one thing they would never be able to see eye to eye about. It quite obviously bothered her, and that concerned him because it wasn’t exactly a minor issue.

Her behavior since she had brought up the subject quite frankly had him at a bit of a loss. He found that he was unhappy because she was unhappy, and he felt a weird sort of anxiety he couldn’t really define. He wanted her to stop being upset with him and act normal again, but he didn’t know what to say or do other than give in to her, and that was something he couldn’t do this time. So he let her be and hoped things would go back to the way they were after this was over.

Sakura slid her kunai back into her holster and returned the sharpening kit to her bag before standing and stretching her legs a little. “I’m going out for a few minutes, I’ll be back in a while,” she said as she turned toward the door.

Both men looked up at her in surprise.

“Where are you going?” Deidara asked quickly.

“I just need to take care of something. I shouldn’t be gone long.”

Deidara set his bag aside and stood up. “I’ll go with you, yeah.”

She resisted the urge to sigh. “I need to go by myself,” she said quietly but firmly.

His brow turned in a small frown and he stepped closer to her. “It’s not a good idea for us to walk around in this town, especially not alone,” he said in the same tone.

This time Sakura did sigh, and then made a quick hand seal. “Henge,” she muttered, and with a soft pop a brunette, dark eyed and more voluptuous version of herself gazed back at the blond shinobi. “Better?”

Deidara stared at her for a moment, slightly unsettled because it was still her face but the rest of her looked so different, and he decided that he much preferred the natural version. He sighed in defeat. “Alright. Just be careful, yeah?”

“I will.” She gave him a small reassuring smile before turning for the door again.

“What’s with the boobs?” Kisame asked, grinning at her large but illusionary bosom.

She couldn’t help but laugh a little. “No one could possibly think it’s me with boobs like this.”

The shark chuckled, shaking his head. “Never thought I’d say this, but you look better small.”

“I agree,” Deidara murmured under his breath.

Sakura wasn’t as bothered by the topic of her fake chest as she would have thought, probably because the playful banter helped to break up some of the tension. “That makes three of us,” she replied before opening the door. “I’ll be back soon.”

When she was gone Deidara sighed and sat back on the bed.

“She pissed at you or somethin’?” Kisame asked without looking up from the unwrapped Samehada in his lap.

The blond ninja shook his head in frustration and rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t know… She wanted to kill Yotsuba quietly, like when he’s asleep or something. She’s not happy about what we’re planning to do, yeah.”

The shark nodded sagely. “No…I don’t imagine she would be. Why won’t you do it her way?”

His expression darkened. “Because I want that bastard to see his death coming, and not be able to do a damn thing. I want him to know who is killing him and why, and to know before he dies that he fucked with the wrong people, yeah.”

“I figured as much.”

“Her main problem is she doesn’t want us to draw attention to ourselves.”

Kisame nodded again. “Well you know she’s probably right about that. But I also think she doesn’t like to see your dark side, at least not to this extreme.”

“She knows what I was…and she’s seen us both do worse, yeah,” he said, recalling some of what she’d witnessed when she was their captive years ago. His tone was slightly dismissive, but his brow creased in a frown as though he didn’t quite believe his own words.

“Yeah, but she thought differently of us back then. She’s also not as desensitized as we are. She may know what you’re capable of and care about you anyway, but that doesn’t mean she wants to be reminded firsthand. You may want to tone it down a little,” the shark advised.

“I already told her I would,” Deidara replied quietly.

It was quiet for a moment, and then Kisame fixed the younger man with a wicked grin. “Good, ‘cause we don’t want the princess to dump you and come running to my arms, now do we?”

“…don’t make me kill you.”

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Sakura made her way through the bustling, noisy streets toward the city center. Being a large industrial town, it was nearly as active at night as it was during the day. The sun was setting but it was only slightly less crowded and the many vendors lining the streets showed no signs of closing up yet. To her shinobi mind, this was a good thing. This way she would look less suspicious moving around at night, it was easier to blend in, easier to get lost in the crowd.

Not that she expected assassins to be lurking around every corner for her, but she was on guard anyway. Paranoia was a ninja’s best defense. Years of experience and skill made it second nature to always keep an eye out for potential threats, but it was different this time because she was actively being targeted.

She knew this was why Deidara was so determined to eliminate the threat against them. She got what he was trying to do, and he said he was only trying to protect her, but he was completely missing her point. Or he was ignoring it, and that was what bothered her.

He didn’t seem to realize that if he drew the attention of the hidden villages and had to go on the run, of course she would go on the run with him. He would try to stop her, maybe even try to leave her to keep her safe, but if years of pining after a boy with no interest in her had proven one thing, it was that Haruno Sakura was not easily shaken off when it came to love. There was no question about it; there was nowhere else she wanted to be more than at his side, no matter how bad things got. She could have just told him that if he put himself in danger he would be putting her in danger too, but she just didn’t feel right about emotional blackmail.

So she decided to find another way, and that other way was her current mission.

She was really frustrated with Deidara right now, and she knew he knew it. The stupid man had no sense of self-preservation, and she was surprised his reckless way of dealing with things hadn’t gotten him killed years ago before she even met him. If he wasn’t so skilled and powerful she was sure he would have bit it long ago. However his skill only made him arrogant on top of being reckless, so it was no wonder he was infamous for being a wildcard and a maniac. He wasn’t as bad as his reputation, but he just didn’t think things through sometimes.

Well, she wasn’t going to let him get himself into trouble on her watch. He may not care what happened to himself, but she did, and she wasn’t about to let something as inane as a heist mission gone wrong ruin her last chance at real happiness.

After the war began her life had been hard and full of sorrow, and the past two years on her own had been a living hell. Finding Deidara again and letting him back into her heart had shown her a glimpse of a life she thought was no longer possible, of the kind of love and happiness she thought was forever beyond her reach after losing so much.

She would protect that hope at all costs.

Neither of her partners in crime knew what she was up to, and Deidara would definitely not like what she was planning to do, but she didn’t care this time and he would just have to deal with it. His obstinacy on this issue had left her with few options, and this was the best thing she could come up with. She was taking necessary steps to insure a peaceful future for them.

At last Sakura reached the center of the city, and began looking for the largest, fanciest hotel the town offered. As expected, she located it not far from the City Hall. This would almost certainly be the right place.

She checked her appearance one last time before going in, altering the henge slightly to look more impressive and well dressed, and then approached the entrance. A streetside bellhop opened the door for her with a slight bow and she entered the ornate lobby. She stopped before the concierge desk, rang the little bell, and waited to be acknowledged.

It wasn’t long before a stuffy-looking elderly man appeared before her. “How may I help you, madam?”

Sakura straightened and put on an authoritative air. “Hello. I need to speak with the ambassador from Konohagakure, would you please page her for me?”

The concierge stared at her for a moment, as it was obviously strange for someone to walk in off the street and ask such a thing. “May I inquire as to your business with the ambassador, miss…?”

She frowned a little and tried to look more intimidating. “It is a matter of political discretion, and it is quite urgent.”

The concierge swallowed and nodded shortly. “I understand. Unfortunately the ambassadors have gone to dinner with the mayor this evening, and it is unknown when they will return.”

Sakura sighed in frustration. She didn’t have time to wait around!

“If you would like to return in the morning…”

She shook her head. “That’s not possible. Can I leave a message with you?”

The man quailed a little under her hard stare, determining she must know the ambassador personally because they both had that same intimidating glare. “Of course. I will make sure she gets it immediately upon her return.”

Sakura nodded and grabbed the notepad he offered and pen from the desktop. This was not what she originally planned, but she didn’t have much of a choice and there was no time to track her down or wait for her to come back. She sighed heavily and started to write. She couldn’t write in code because that would make her look more suspicious and she couldn’t trust anyone at the moment – even hotel clerks – so she chose her words carefully to be perfectly understandable to the recipient, but vague and meaningless to anyone else. When she finished she read over the short message one last time.

Nara Temari –

I need to speak with you, and I know you understand why.

Meet me at the city’s central park near where we met last week, tomorrow at 2 p.m.

He will be with me, as this matter concerns all of us. Trust me, and please come alone.

H.S.

Satisfied the other kunoichi would get her meaning, she folded the slip in half, reached over the desk and pulled a strip of tape from the dispenser to seal the note and then handed it to the concierge. “Remember, it is very important she get this tonight,” she instructed firmly.

The man nodded quickly. “Or course, madam. I will see to it personally.”

Sakura nodded in acceptance and turned to leave.

“Would you like to leave a name…?” he called behind her.

She paused and turned her head over her shoulder. “She will know,” she replied, and then walked out of the building.

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“Where the hell did she go? It’s already full dark outside…we need to get going soon if we’re gonna do it all tonight.”

Deidara didn’t reply to the shark’s comment, merely continued to stare out the window with his arms crossed over his chest as he had been for the past fifteen minutes. He sighed irritably and frowned. He was worried about her alone out there, in this city full of men who worked for Yotsuba.

A moment later they felt Sakura’s chakra signature flare minutely outside the room, announcing her presence so they wouldn’t attack her when she came in. The door opened and the kunoichi entered, and she closed it quietly behind her before dropping the henge. Both men stared at her curiously, but she had no intention of telling them where she had gone just yet, and they were perceptive enough to understand that and didn’t ask, though she could see Deidara was practically biting his tongue not to.

“Is everything ready?” she asked.

“Just waitin on you, princess,” Kisame smirked.

Sakura couldn’t bring herself to look contrite about holding them up. Instead she nodded curtly and checked her pack to make sure she had everything she would need.

Deidara moved to her side and bent his head close to hers. “Hey,” he said quietly, his hand coming up to gently hold her forearm.

“Hmm?” She looked up and met his concerned gaze.

He looked at her for a moment, then took a slow deep breath. “I know you don’t like this…and if you don’t want to be part of it, Kisame and I can go –”

“So you don’t need my help?” she said sharply, her eyes narrowing slightly.

Kisame moved to stand near the door and became very focused on the wrappings of his sword, his face schooled into an unreadable expression.

Deidara’s brow furrowed. “…no, that’s not what I meant.”

Sakura stiffened and gave him a reproving look. “How can you even say something like that to me?” His frown only deepened into a mixture of confusion and irritation. She didn’t wait for him to answer. “First of all; Yotsuba is trying to kill me too. This is as much my fight as it is yours. Secondly; I’m not some damsel who needs to be kept out of harm’s way all the time. And finally; there’s no way in hell I’m going to sit back here and worry about the two of you, and not be there if either of you need medical attention. With everything you know about me…you should know that, you jackass.”

Deidara felt a sinking feeling in his gut as he absorbed her meaning and heard the hard edge to her tone that he knew was covering her emotions. She had told him that several of her friends had died while she wasn’t there, and being a medic, she would always wonder if she could have done something, or at least have had a chance to say goodbye, and she irrationally blamed herself for her absence. He really should have thought before saying something like that. He really was an ass. He looked down and away from her hard, bright gaze, and fumbled for a moment for something to say.

“…I was just…”

Sakura suppressed the sudden wave of emotion, understanding that her frustration and agitation weren’t really about this, that the true source was much deeper. He didn’t deserve that. He was only trying to take care of her and protect her, and she had bitten his head off because of a much deeper issue that wasn’t his fault at all. Now looking at his guilty and slightly hurt expression, she felt awful, and again realized how much of a bitch she could be at times.

She sighed and eased her arm out of his grasp to take hold of his hand. “I know,” she said quietly, “I didn’t mean to snap at you, I’m just a little on edge.”

He looked up and met her gaze again, eyes searching her face, and she could see the unspoken thoughts as well as a hint of uncertainty there. She squeezed his fingers. “We’ll talk later, ok? Right now we need to stay focused. We have a score to settle.”

Deidara nodded and squeezed her fingers in return before letting go. “Let’s get this over with, yeah.”

Kisame pushed himself off the wall and strapped Samehada to his back, looking for all the world like he hadn’t heard a thing. The shark nin loved to tease, but he also knew when to lay off and let it lie. He wouldn’t give his partner any crap for cowing to the kunoichi like that, because there was clearly something deeper going on. “Lead the way,” he said with gruff cheerfulness.

With that, the three ninja headed downstairs, and dropped the room key at the front desk on their way out.

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Several men of the night shift were walking across the large open yard of the factory complex, heading toward the break room, when the strange white object landed in the middle of the enclosure. Murmurs of curiosity could be heard among the crowd as they stopped and stared at the cat-sized thing that suddenly dropped out of the sky.

A few of the mercenaries approached the object for a closer look. As they drew near, it became obvious that it was a bird – like some kind of abstract parrot. Its wings were wrapped around its body and it didn’t appear to be moving. In fact, it didn’t appear to be alive at all.

That was until the strange bird-shaped thing suddenly emitted a high pitched caw and its wings flapped straight out to its sides.

A few of the men were startled and stepped backward at the abrupt action.

“…what the hell…?” said one.

A few laughs went around at their comrade’s jumpiness. One of the more grizzled men kneeled down to inspect the bird-object. “What’re you sissies so scared of? Some kid prolly just lost his toy.”

As if in response, the little thing cawed again and flapped its wings. A few more laughs went around, and the crowd had grown to a couple dozen men by now.

The kneeling man poked at the bird with a look of distaste. “Weird little thing, ain’t it? Kinda ugly if you ask –”

BOOM!

Many of the men surrounding the bird-bomb were knocked unconscious. The ones closest to the creature – weren’t so lucky. Shouts of alarm rang out as the men who escaped harm were knocked back or ran away from the blast. The explosion brought the rest of the mercenaries out of the building and into the yard, and the gate guards were running to the source of commotion as well.

The men who had seen the little white bird explode – those who were still conscious and alive – shouted in panic and ran back as a much larger white bird descended from the sky. The bird swooped low and three dark figures leapt from its back to land in the center of the yard. The bird continued to fly past and screeched loudly as it picked up speed, heading toward the main factory in the distance. In shock and uncontrollably fascinated, the mercenaries in the yard could only stare as the resounding boom and large ball of explosive flame burst from the side of the building.

As the blast died down, the three dark figures who hadn’t moved from where they landed now had everyone’s undivided attention. Murmurs of alarmed recognition could be heard as the smoke cleared and the two smaller figures came into focus. The blond man in front reached both hands into pouches attached to his belt at the hips and fixed the crowd with a malevolent smirk.

“Anyone who doesn’t feel like dying for their boss tonight…now would be the time to get the fuck out, yeah,” Deidara said darkly.

Many of them did just that, either backing away slowly or outright running from the scene. But the more aggressive – and higher paid – mercenaries drew weapons and began to close in around the trio. Suddenly a group of men that were obviously shinobi leapt down on them from the roof of the main office building. The other men took this as their cue to attack, and the fight was on.

It didn’t last long. Only twenty or so of Yotsuba’s men remained, and numbers like that didn’t stand a chance against two former Akatsuki and the student of a legendary Sannin. Thug after thug hit the ground or flew through the air from miniature bombs, chakra-laden kicks and monstrous sword swings as the three cleared a path to the office door.

They knew their target was still inside because there was only one door and Deidara had planted spider-bomb traps on all of the windows before dropping the first bomb in the yard. As they neared the building, Sakura separated from the two men to head off another group of guards that had just run from the other end of the complex. Deidara and Kisame paused, but she motioned for them to go on without her.

“I’ll stay out here and make sure no one gets in the building,” she said over her shoulder. She probably didn’t want to witness what was about to go down in there anyway.

They nodded in acknowledgement and climbed the steps. With one forceful kick from Kisame, the door was knocked off its hinges, and they disappeared inside.

Sakura turned her attention back to the handful of late arrivals, giving them her best ‘don’t fuck with me’ glare. “We’re only here for Yotsuba. You’re all effectively unemployed, if you know what I mean. I don’t want to have to kill you. If you’re smart you’ll just turn and walk away.”

She expected at least a few of them to turn tail like before, but instead, they laughed.

A man in front gave her a scathing look. “You? Kill us? Little girl, I’d like to see you try.”

Sakura’s blood boiled at not being taken seriously by these common thugs. “I don’t have to try with the likes of you. But suit yourself…” she scowled, and slammed her fist into the ground.

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A low rumble from outside and a tremor beneath their feet told the partners that the fight had begun, and Sakura was obviously winning. They made their way to the back of the building unhindered. Yotsuba didn’t have devoted men; they were only as loyal as their paychecks and with the exception of those outside with Sakura, had all left or been neutralized.

The door to Yotsuba’s office was closed, but another hard kick from the sadistically grinning shark and it went flying off its hinges as well.

The man himself was sitting at his desk. Thick cigar smoke filled the room, the source of which was held between the portly merchant’s lips as usual. His arms were crossed over his barrel-chest, and he fixed them with a baleful look.

“I don’t suppose I need to ask what you’re doing here,” he said in a flat tone that covered anything he might be feeling at the moment.

Deidara merely glared at him with icy, murderous eyes.

Yotsuba looked away from that cold stare and down at his desk, where the forbidden scroll and the sword lay before him. He took a long, slow drag on his cigar, savoring the sweet smoke as if it were the last he would ever taste of it. He most certainly knew that it was.

“And where’s that bitch of a woman I hired along with you? Or did she actually manage to die in that explosion like you were supposed to?”

Kisame grinned, knowing whatever small speck of mercy his partner may have intended had just flown out the window.

“She’s outside, taking care of what’s left of your peons,” Deidara replied.

“Ah. Who’s your friend?” he said, glaring at the tall shark nin now.

The shark’s grin widened. “Hoshigake Kisame. A former business partner,” he said. He could almost respect the man for maintaining his dignity in the face of death. Almost.

Yotsuba’s brow furrowed just slightly in understanding. “…I see.”

Deidara’s lips curled in a vicious smirk. “Your death wish must be pretty strong to do what you did, knowing who we are, yeah.”

The stout man gave a small snort. “Well…I was pretty much counting on you both to die,” he said, his voice dripping with irony. Another drag on the cigar, and then he removed it from his mouth with perceptibly trembling fingers and stubbed it out in the ashtray. He sighed heavily. “But then…I guess I suppose I should have known.”

Kisame grinned his most vicious. “You should have known.”

Deidara moved forward.

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Sakura clapped the dust from her gloves and sat on the metal railing of the steps. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked around at the scene of battle, rolling her eyes again at the group she had just dealt with, now comatose – or maybe worse, she hadn’t checked – on the ground a short distance away. As her eyes roamed her brow steadily pulled down into a frown. Blood spattered the ground in many places, as well as charring and detonation marks here and there. Quite a few of the bodies lying around the broken-up concrete yard were definitely not unconscious. She hadn’t really paid attention to either Deidara’s or Kisame’s individual battles, but now she could see they hadn’t been nearly as lenient as she had. But then, she hadn’t expected them to.

She really didn’t like doing this sort of thing. She was a medic, and moreover, she was a compassionate person by nature. But she was a shinobi, and this is what shinobi did. This is what shinobi are. War and a lifetime of experience had hardened and jaded her somewhat, but she still always tried to keep the body count to a minimum on both sides. She would just have to console herself with the knowledge that these men had been given the chance to escape, and had chosen not to. Like Yotsuba, they brought it upon themselves.

The complex was quiet now that the fighting was over. Only the occasional grunt or moan from an unconscious thug could be heard. Either no one had thought to sound an alarm, or there wasn’t one. Furthermore, there was no indication of any local authorities coming toward the complex. Those explosions couldn’t have gone completely unnoticed. The factory was on fire after all. Of course, she wasn’t complaining that no outside forces had shown up.

Suddenly a blood-curdling scream rent the quiet air. Sakura closed her eyes tight and gripped the railing, trying not to think about what sorts of things would make a man scream like that. Don’t go in there. You can’t go in there. You don’t want to see…She repeated the thought like a mantra as the screaming continued and eventually died out with a final horrific choking sound.

Several minutes passed in silence after that. Sakura was beginning to grow concerned about her two partners still in there and was contemplating going in to find them when she heard rustling and footsteps from inside, and she turned to see Deidara and Kisame emerge. The shark was holding the scroll in one hand, and she was slightly surprised to see Deidara was carrying the sword they had stolen.

She moved forward quickly to meet them, brow creasing as she took in their appearances. She hadn’t really had a chance to look at them since they stormed the complex, but now she could see they were a little roughed up looking, as she was, but worse. She brought her hands to Deidara’s chest, automatically checking him for injury. Her hands moved over his shoulders to his neck and then his face, and she met his gaze steadily. There was still a trace of the cold killer there in his eyes, but she wouldn’t look away. This is part of what he is. If she accepted him she had to accept this too, even if she would never like it.

“…is any of that blood yours?” she asked, her tone a strange mix of relief and stiffness.

He gave her a small shake of his head. “No.”

“Are you injured at all?”Another negative shake. She nodded acceptingly and turned to Kisame. “What about you?” she asked, running her hands over his bulky torso as well in a cursory, more formal inspection.

“Nope. I’m right as rain, princess,” he said with a grin.

That just didn’t sound right, considering the situation. Her eyes trailed down to the enormous sword in the shark’s hand. Samehada’s wrappings were torn open and hanging from it in red tatters, and she tried not to focus too much on the little fleshy bits stuck here and there in the serrated teeth. What was worse was the sentient weapon was literally thrumming with energy, no doubt ecstatic after all the ‘fun’ it just had. Kisame was a decent guy under the rough and sadistic exterior, but his sword was just plain evil.

The shark noticed the kunoichi’s look of revulsion and chuckled. “Hey…I didn’t kill anyone who didn’t try to kill me first,” he shrugged.

Sakura nodded wearily. She knew that, and it wasn’t like she hadn’t done the same – to a less messy extent. And it wasn’t over yet. “How late do you think it is?” she asked.

“Still early, it’s been less than an hour.”

“Let’s finish it, yeah,” Deidara said, and began molding clay for their transport.

They mounted the large flying construct and lifted into the air, and Sakura was not at all surprised when once they were clear of the yard, Deidara made a hand seal and muttered “katsu!”, and the building below exploded in a giant ball of flame.

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The three hour flight across the bay was mostly silent. Deidara was rather preoccupied as he guided the bird, occasionally stealing glances at Sakura who appeared to be doing her best to ignore both men and was staring fixedly out over the water.

He didn’t like it at all. Her attitude made him anxious, though he couldn’t figure out why. He had no idea what she was thinking or feeling, if she was mad at him or not. Or worse than mad. She had most likely heard the screaming, and seen him come out of the building covered in blood that wasn’t his own. He didn’t feel guilty; Yotsuba had it coming and deserved what he got. But was dealing retribution to the merchant worth causing a rift between himself and Sakura?

Shingo’s base of operations was located on the same island as the hotel they had stayed in before the heist, but on the other side in a seedier port city. Shingo’s compound was a shipping yard full of large metal containers and crates of cargo. Apparently his business was more than a front of hotels and underground black market trade.

As the complex came into sight, Sakura pulled herself out of her self-imposed silence and leaned closer to Deidara. “Land outside the compound, I have an idea,” she said.

He stared at her for a moment, then nodded. They set down in a dark alley a block away.

“What’s up?” Kisame asked after they jumped down from the bird.

“I don’t want to do this like we did Yotsuba,” she said firmly, locking gazes with each of the men in turn. “Shingo hasn’t done anything to us yet. We don’t even know for sure if he even knows it was us who robbed him. We don’t have to kill him to neutralize him as a threat.”

Both men stared at her for a long moment. “Alright…but he’s not getting the scroll back. Or the sword,” Deidara said finally. He didn’t really want to argue with her. He had a feeling he’d caused enough problems between them already.

“No, he isn’t. That’s not what I’m suggesting.”

Kisame crossed his arms over his chest and grinned, sharp teeth flashing in the moonlight. “What do you have in mind?”

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It was a rather slow and boring night for the employees of the shipping yard. That was, until the wall next to the guard house – two feet thick and solid concrete – suddenly burst apart and collapsed before their eyes.

Shouts of alarm rang out as men spilled from the guard house and came running from all around, only to be silenced in shock as the dust cleared and three figures could be seen standing atop the pile of rubble. Front and center was a petite, pink haired girl, who would have looked out of place in such a situation if not for the smirk of smug satisfaction on her pretty features.

Sakura bent and picked up a watermelon sized piece of concrete wall. She held it for a moment, making sure she had everyone’s attention, and then crushed it to dust between her hands. “Sorry to bother you boys, but could someone point the way to Shingo’s office?”

Cries of dismay at her inhuman display of power went through the crowd, and one or two of them even pointed to the largest building near the demolished wall.

Sakura smiled and dusted her hands against her hips. “Thanks,” she said pleasantly, and started to walk down the pile of crushed stones. The two men exchanged amused smirks and followed after her. As they stepped onto solid ground a couple of mercenaries moved forward.

Kisame extended the point of his still-bloody sword out toward the nearest men. “Back the fuck up or you die.”

Apparently Shingo employed smarter men who knew when they were outclassed, because no one approached the dangerous and savage looking trio as they made their way to the indicated building. Sakura took hold of the handle and ripped the door clean off its hinges, tossing it aside before moving into the building.

They entered a waiting room of sorts, and standing in the middle with a shocked expression was an aging man wearing an expensive business suit.

“Are you Shingo?” Sakura asked as she moved toward him.

The man’s eyes widened and he cringed a little, but answered, “…yes…”

The next thing he uttered was a cry of surprise as the petite woman grabbed him by the front of his jacket and hauled him toward a back room.

“W-what do you want?” he exclaimed as he was dragged along by the impossibly strong kunoichi.

“Just a chat,” she replied before shoving another door open, one with a brass plate bearing ‘President’ on it. She dragged the frightened man into the room and tossed him into his own posh leather office chair.

Kisame and Deidara entered the room behind them and stood blocking the door. Sakura crossed her arms over her chest and fixed Shingo with her most frightening glare. He was a small man, and lean, practically the exact opposite of Yotsuba.

“W-who are you people?” he stammered.

“We’re the ones Yotsuba hired to steal your sword,” she answered evenly.

“Yotsuba! He contacted me two days ago and told me two shinobi – you guys – had tried to sell him my sword. He wanted me to buy your names from him,” he exclaimed.

Deidara snorted derisively. The man’s greed was unbelievable. Sakura moved closer and leaned over the desk. “Yotsuba was a liar. However, he doesn’t have that problem anymore.”

“Why?”

“Because he’s dead, yeah,” Deidara said darkly.

Shingo’s eyes practically bulged out of his head. “Dead? …you guys killed him?”

“That’s right. That bastard double crossed us. We completed our end of the contract perfectly and without a trace. You probably know that more than anyone,” Sakura said. An unpleasant frown appeared on his features. “But he tried to have us killed to cover his own tracks. And he paid the price for it.”

A long moment passed as Shingo stared uncertainly at the kunoichi, then at the sinister looking men behind her. Then he let out a nervous half-chuckle. “I suppose I should thank you, since it appears he was trying to double cross me as well. And now that he’s dead I have an opportunity to seize his assets.” He swallowed nervously and looked at Sakura again. “But then…why are you here?”

“After he failed to kill us we figured he might try to set us up to take the fall for him, and that it was only a matter of time before you sent assassins after us too. Am I right?”

Shingo stared at her for a moment. “If Yotsuba’s plan had succeeded, then…yes.”

Sakura nodded. “Right. So we thought we’d stop by to let you know that’s not a very good idea.”

Her hand smoothed over the polished surface of the solid mahogany desk. She rapped the wood a couple times with a knuckle, and then flicked the center of the desktop with her middle finger. Shingo cried out in alarm and shoved his chair back as the desk cracked and split in half under the power of just one of her fingers.

Behind her, Deidara and Kisame grinned madly.

Her lips curled in a dark smirk. “You see, Shingo…we’re not the kind of people you want to fuck with. Not if you value your life. Or the life of your family.”

A look of dread passed over his aging features. “W-what?” he choked.

Sakura watched his reaction closely and kept her features hard and threatening. His balding gray hair was at all angles in disarray, and he looked truly afraid. She almost felt sorry for him, but the point needed to be made. Her eyes traveled to the platinum band on his ring finger. “You have a family? A wife and kids? If you do a thing to cross us…ever…the last thing you see in this world will be their deaths.”

She imagined the effort it was taking the two men behind her to keep the surprise from their faces at hearing such a thing from her. She hated saying it, and of course hadn’t meant a word. But Shingo didn’t know that, and it would have the needed effect.

Shingo struggled to find his voice for a moment, but eventually he rasped, “It seems my enemy was Yotsuba all along…I have no reason to go after any of you. But…where is my scroll?”

“It’s gone. That’s all you need to know, yeah.” Deidara said harshly.

“Do we have an understanding, Shingo?”

After a long moment in which he seemed to mourn the loss of his precious forbidden scroll, he met her emerald gaze again. “We have an understanding.”

Sakura nodded, and gave him a dry smile. “Good. Then you won’t be seeing us again.”

With that, the three shinobi left the frightened merchant alone in his office and disappeared into the night.

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It was well into the dead of night when they reached the mainland again. They stopped at the same out of the way inn they had stayed at when returning from the island the last time. They paid for two rooms, but Kisame came to Sakura and Deidara’s room first so the three of them could finally get to the truth about the scroll that had caused so much trouble for them.

It was a forbidden suiton jutsu after all, and Kisame was as excited as if it were his birthday. After decoding it he informed them that the technique was one that once you make the seals, if both hands make contact with the enemy, it will suck all the water from their bodies into their lungs, shriveling their flesh and drowning them from the inside out. Sakura wasn’t that surprised it was such a horrible jutsu; Mist ninja were brutal and sadistic at best. Kisame offered to teach it to them once he finished learning it, but Deidara couldn’t use water element at all and Sakura wasn’t proficient enough to master a jutsu that complicated.

It was nearing three a.m., and Sakura was exhausted. All she wanted right now was to pass out on the bed, but she couldn’t do that just yet. There was still one thing she needed to discuss with the two men. She picked the scroll up from the bedside table where the shark had set it a few moments ago. “Kisame…do you think you will be able to learn this jutsu by tomorrow afternoon?” she asked.

He shrugged and thought for a moment. “Most likely. I’m halfway there already. Why?”

“Because it’s not staying with us.”

Both men looked at her sharply.

“Huh?”

“What do you mean it’s not staying with us?” Deidara asked with an incredulous frown.

Sakura locked eyes with him, and her tone made it clear there would be no arguing about this. “You had to have your way, and I went along with your bloody vengeance. But this we’re going to do my way. What we did tonight could potentially cause even more problems for us.” She tapped the scroll against her palm. “This…is our insurance policy.”

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After she explained the plan Kisame went to his own room with the scroll, leaving Sakura and Deidara alone. There was a rather tense silence between the lovers. Sakura sighed heavily and stripped down to her shorts and tank top before climbing into the bed.

Deidara removed his shirt and pulled the tie from his hair before slipping in behind her. She didn’t turn to face him, or even acknowledge that he was in the bed with her. He didn’t know what to say to her even if he knew what exactly was wrong with her, which he didn’t. He just knew it was his fault.

“Sakura…”

It was a long moment before she responded. “It’s been a long night, Deidara. I know I said we’d talk…but I’m really tired. Can we talk in the morning?” she murmured sleepily.

He stared at her back uncertainly. “…yeah…I guess,” he muttered. His brow creased in a troubled frown. He shifted closer to her and gently slipped his arm around her waist before tentatively pressing his lips to her shoulder. She didn’t move. Not away, which was a relief, but neither did she snuggle back into him like she usually did. He didn’t know how much more of this he could take, and he was worried her strange behavior toward him wasn’t going to go away.

What she had seen tonight was the worst part of himself, the dark and ugly side that he was probably too crazy to ever eliminate. What if she couldn’t accept it after all? Had he damaged their relationship beyond repair? He should have listened to her and done it her way. He shouldn’t have been so goddamn stubborn and vindictive. It wasn’t worth it in the end, and if he lost Sakura because of it he had no one to blame but himself.

That thought worried him more than anything else. He wanted to make all the distance and tension go away, if only he knew how. He wanted to be assured they were ok, but she wouldn’t really talk to him right now and he knew pressing her would only make things worse. This couldn’t be happening. After finally reuniting and everything they had been through to this point…

He sighed anxiously and tightened his arm around her. “…I’m sorry…I…”

“…mm?” she mumbled.

He realized she was nearly asleep, and hadn’t really heard him. “…nothing…goodnight,” he whispered.

Sakura drifted away within moments. But for Deidara, sleep was a long time coming.

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A/N: Poor Deidara…he doesn’t know what to do. He’s totally clueless, but he kinda deserves it. XD

Any feedback is much appreciated!