Return Of The Madness

Chapter 4

"No."

"C'mon!"

"No."

"Please!"

"No."

"Pretty please!"

"The physical appearance of the please makes no difference."

"..."

"..."

"... Ple-"

"Sh!" A hard, wooden hand slapped over Yuma's mouth as the puppet man listened carefully.

Distantly, very distantly, he could hear... flapping.

"Finally," he huffed. "That damn brat is always late..."

Ripping his hand from her mouth, the rusty eyed teen gave another shot. "C'mon! Haruko needs a mustache to call his own!"

His sharp eyes snapped to her in irritation. "I said no, brat."

Scowling in irritation at the buzzkill of a man-puppet-thingy beside her, Yuma huffed and watched as Deidara's giant clay bird landed before then, an arm and a leg poking from the beak of the mount, but otherwise no indication given as to whom they were currently kidnapping. Bolt-Face had informed her that the guy was the Kazekage, but had refused to give her a name, and the others hadn't been any help in clearing up her curiosity.

"Can I see who it is now? Huh? Huh?" The hyperactive girl chirped, hopping over to the bird, but a strong hand gripping the collar of her cloak stopped her.

"No, for the last time. Now let's go- you weren't followed, were you?" The puppeteer barked at his companions, first the ash-haired teen, and then the blonde young bomber.

Giving a cocky smirk, Deidara scoffed. "Of course not, Danna- you doubt me-un?"

"To be frank, yes, I do."

"... Well, ouch..."

Yuma giggled, spinning out of Sasori's grip and beginning to skip off without the bickering artists.

"O-Oi, Yuma, don't run off, yeah!" Deidara called, and the two were quick to catch up to the skipping girl. Bright blue eyes studied her, with her shimmering red-brown yes and blood-speckled, charcoal grey hair, and her blood-soaked cloak. She swung her arms with almost too much gusto as she skipped, and began hummed that eery tune again.

She was twisted, sick, demented. She would live an afterlife in Hell for all those she'd murdered without remorse, all those she'd tortured with glee for information, all the lives she'd taken and destroyed. Hell,  they all would, but she would be worse off. Her killcount was beyond numbers already, before she'd joined the Akatsuki, but since that time she's been used for so much carnage. This may be her first official mission, but she was no stranger to the way they operated by any means.

Still, she was sweet at times. Rarely, but there were moments that Deidara looked back on fondly. Like the time that she'd wandered into his room once while bored, and played with his hair while he sculpted, or the time she asked him to teach her the art of sculpting clay, and he'd helped her make a replica of a pineapple- where this strange obsession with the fruit stemmed from, he doubted he'd ever know. The heavy feeling in the pit of his stomach refused to lift, and the blonde bomber could only think about how much he didn't want her to leave. He was eager to be done with this mission, just so that they could go home.

Sasori glanced at his partner, biting back a sigh at the soft look on the young man's face as he gazed at the twisted youth they traveled with. The puppet master knew what was running through the brat's head, and though he was almost on the same page as the blonde for once, he knew that should the time come, he would have to be the one to end Yuma. There was no way Deidara could do it, for an S-ranked criminal, the young man was too soft, too naive.

Dull brown eyes traveled to the teen occupying both their thoughts. Sasori was almost surprised to find he was also somewhat fond of the sadistic brat. He recalled a time when she asked to see his puppets, she was so excited she couldn't think straight, and he'd indulged her curiosity by introducing her to each and everyone, showing off each one's individual strengths and traits.

"Hey!" A livid shout grabbed the attention of the travelling trio, and they turned back to see a boy, face decorated in purple makeup, in a hooded outfit of black. He glared at the blonde, growling. "Give Gaara back."

Yuma's brows furrowed as a nagging in her head began. This boy looked almost painfully familiar, and that name he'd uttered: Gaara- she'd heard that somewhere before, she knew it.

Deidara snarled a curse at the boy from the sand. The blonde could see the confusion on Yuma's face, and his stomach dropped as she scrutinized the purple-painted nin.

Sasori glared at the boy, then at Deidara, who flinched at the anger in the wooden eyes.

"My doubt is well placed it seems," he muttered coldly before looking to the grey haired girl at his side. "Yuma, leave, go ahead with Deidara, while I fix this mess."

"Yuma?" The Sand nin echoed, blinking in surprise at the hunched figure, then looking at the bloodied teen for the first time, his eyes widening in recognition. "Hey! What're you-!"

"Deidara!" Sasori snarled, and the blonde nodded, whistling shrilly. With a might flap of its wings, the clay creation took flight, taking time to snatch Yuma up by its claws, taking off as the rust-eyes youth gave a shout of surprise and confusion. What was happening? Who was that boy? Why was she being sent away? Usually Sasori would have her clear away any obstacles, so why send her ahead, and why was that boy so familiar?

Deidara bit his lip, shutting his eyes tightly as they flew towards the base they would take care of the Kazekage in. He knew something wasn't right, he could almost hear the gears turning in the young girl's head.

"Deidara! Deidara, who was what?! Dei,  answer me!" Yuma yelled over the wind.

Deidara closed his fists tightly against his sides as she yelled to him. His stomach twisted and flipped with anxiety.

"D-Damn it-un..." he growled, swallowing thickly. "If we have to... to..." He swallowed again. "Itachi, you bastard... If something happens to her... I'll never forgive you..."