Clay - Chapter Five

*Due to the fact that I don’t know what the cave looks like, there will be no depiction of it*1

“It’s fine now, un,” Deidara said. “You can open your eyes now.” 2

I did as I was told and looked around. The bird was just gliding in the sky. I had shut my eyes for a good fifteen minutes, and somehow, Deidara had detected it. 3

He caught me staring at the setting sun. “Pretty, yeah?” 4

“Uh-huh,” I said, nodding, but then it dawned on me. “Oh, my gosh, the sun is setting!” 5

“Why does it worry you? Still haven’t found a place to stay?” 6

He got me there. “Pretty much…” I mumbled and then spoke up. “Uh, yeah, I haven’t.7

My mind reading kicked in. 8

“Really?!” I asked. 9

He thought I could stay with him at the Akatsuki. 10

“You just read my mind, hmm?” he asked. 11

“It comes and goes like I said,” I said quickly. 12

“You don’t mind big caves, do you?” 13

I shook my head. Strangely enough, I let go for a quick second only to almost fall backward. I wrapped my arms around him again and clasped my hands together. 14

“Don’t let go again,” he told me. “You don’t want to fall, hmm?” 15

“Uh, no, thank you,” I said. “I plan to live a little longer than eighteen years, thank you very much.” Now I was panting. 16

“Get scared easily, hmm?” 17

“N-Not usually, no.” Then I noticed I didn’t have my bag. “Um, Deidara?” 18

“Yeah?” Deidara asked. 19

“Have you…seen my bag?” I asked. “I can’t find it. If I don’t find it, I’m not exactly sure how I would be able to live. It’s holding my life, you know.” 20

“Relax. It’s around the bird’s neck.” 21

“Oh. Any—anyways, um, are we clos—”22

“Nowhere close.”23

“Okay, where is it?” 24

“Across those mountains,” Deidara said, pointing to giant mountains without looking. “At least another four hours.” 25

FOUR HOURS?! I thought, sighing, but it turned into a small yawn. I tried to keep quiet, but he heard me. 26

“Why don’t you just go to sleep, hmm? You seem tired, un.” 27

“But—”28

“It’ll be fine. If you even let go of me for a second, I’ll make sure I grab you, okay?” 29

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“Aria, wake up,” Deidara said. “Aria!” 31

I snapped awake. “What, what?” I asked.32

“We’re here, un.”33

“Oh…” 34

I let out a tense snicker. 35

Deidara jumped off the bird. However, I couldn’t do that since I was wearing sandals. Then again, so was he, but mine were weaker than his. While I was contemplating on how to get off, he grabbed my hips and lifted me down. 36

“You’re not that heavy for being eighteen,” he said, handing me my bag. 37

“I’m eighty-five pounds, Deidara, what do you expect?” I asked, joking. 38

“Yeah?” 39

I suddenly noticed that the walls had torches with flames on them. 40

“Okay, uh, how did we get in here?” I asked. 41

“There’s a giant boulder blocking the entrance,” Deidara said. 42

“Oh, I…see?” I shuddered. 43

“Cold, hmm?” 44

I nodded. 45

“We get used to it,” Deidara continued as he began walking. 46

I followed him, but as soon as I moved, I tripped, but I jumped right back up. “I’m okay, I’m okay,” I said, looking at my body to make sure I wasn’t bleeding. 47

“Come on, un,” Deidara said, taking my hand. 48

“I’m a klutz, aren’t I?” I asked, grimacing. When I fell, I landed on my injured hand. It hurt like crazy. 49

“You could say that, but then again, we’ve only known each other for six hours, yeah?” 50

“Right…” I shook my head and cleared my throat. “So, um, how come your partner wasn’t with you?” 51

“My partner? Oh, *Sasori… It’s rare when he goes to a place that’s more than two hours away, un.” 52

I stopped walking. “No way! Sasori of the Red Sand? SERIOUSLY?” 53

“You know him?” 54

“Well, not know him know him. It’s just…well…um…people are just really terrified of him at my previous dojo.” 55

“Why’s that?” Deidara asked, but I already knew, by the tone of his voice, that he knew the answer. 56

“He’s killed a lot of people from my dojo and Na—I mean, the dojo down the street,” I said. 57

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“Stay here,” Deidara said, stopping by a door. 59

“Okay,” I said, sighing. 60

Okay, there isn’t that many girls in the Akatsuki, I thought, so it must be rare that they find a strong enough girl. I mean, the whole point of it is for “world domination”, right? Yeah, I’m right. 61

I stared at the wall for about five minutes until my eyes hurt a little, so when Deidara came out, I was rubbing my eyes. 62

“Are you okay?” he asked. 63

“Yeah, I—I’m fine,” I said. “I guess I’m doing this because I was staring at the wall for too long, or…” Then, out of the blue, something came over me making me freakishly tired, and I fainted. If Deidara hadn’t been there, I would have probably damage my head on the ground. 64

“Or maybe you’re just really tired, yeah?” 65

I let out a drowsy laugh. “Yeah, probably…” 66

“Just go to sleep, un,” Deidara demanded. 67

Before I responded, I was already unconscious. 68

*Sasori=Deidara’s partner. He doesn’t usually show his face, so we won’t be seeing him that much. He uses marionettes to battle his enemies. 69