Fire style: Burning Love Jutsu

Chapter 36: The Journey Begins

"So why are you keeping him around?" Temari asked. "Once Sasuke and I obtain our goal with Orochimaru, Deidara is going to assist in our get away. He has abilities that even I can't replicate." Azamuku said. "Muku." I said, as we made our way to the hospital. "Yes, Sasuke?" She answered. "Yesterday... You said my brother was worth saving." I said. "Ah. So you watched that entire thing." She said, glancing back at me.

"What did you mean by that?" I asked. She stopped and sighed. "As you saw, I was forced to either complete a mission successfully or get punished severely." She began. "This would range anywhere from being scolded to physical cuts on my body. Or when I did better than most on a mission, he'd 'reward' me. Which ended up more as a reward for himself for how well he's trained me.At night before he parted with the group to sleep, he pulled me into his office and took care of himself." She continued. "My cuts would re-open and I'd be left a crying mess that couldn't move from the pain of what had happened." She said.

"Itachi would have Tobi meet him in his room with medical supplies. He'd carry me to the bathroom, clean me up as I sat in silence, then took me to his room and sat me down on the bed." She continued, as we walked. "He always made sure he had my permission to undress me and help me clean up then promised me he wouldn't treat me how Nagato did." She said. "Then he'd dress my wounds that reopened and Tobi kept my mind off the pain of my wounds being cleaned by talking to me. He asked me about that day." She said, referring to the murders.

"I told him that I hated all of them for it. Tobi told me that he didn't want to. There was no reason to and it involved killing me. Or rather should have." She said. "But he said if they didn't comply with Nagato's orders, he'd kill them." She said, stopping in front of the hospital doors. "Tobi was also your family, Sasuke. He was known as Obito." She said. "Which is all the more reason Itachi was lead to believe I'm meant for you." She said, opening the doors and stepping inside.

"Lord Kazekage! It's a pleasure. Who are you here to see?" A small statured female asked at the front desk. "It's not for me. It's for Azamuku." He said. "Oh! Right. My apologies. Who is it?" She asked again, smiling at Muku. "Deidara." Azamuku said. The nurses smile dropped into slight terror. "Uh. Right. Yes um. Right this way." She said, walking from behind the desk where two others sat. "Don't be afraid. He's harmless, now." Azamuku said, looking at the nurse. I could feel her projecting a calming aura towards her.

"Muku! Stop it!" I thought. "Sorry! I don't need her freaking out if he wakes up!" She thought back. "Alright! Right in here." The nurse said with a smile. The door was guarded by two anbu. "Thank you. If we need anything else, I will send someone." Azamuku said giving a polite bow. The nurse walked away and Azamuku looked to the ninja. "You are relieved of duty." She said to them. They bowed and took their leave, closing the door behind them.

Azamuku walked to the bedside. "Sasuke? Gaara? Guard the door." She said. "Right." I said with a nod from Gaara. "Temari? Kankuro? You guard from the outside." She said. They gave a soft "Mm" as confirmation then took their positions, closing the door. "As for you, pretty boy." She said. She sat at the edge of the bed and placed her hands on his temples and closed her eyes.

I closed my eyes, wanting to see. "Don't even think about it Sasuke." She said. I grumbled and crossed my arms. Moment passed as she sat in that exact position. After some time, Deidara's eyes shot open and he gasped for air, followed by Azamuku's eyes opening. "Welcome back to the world of the living." She said, grinning at him. It took him a second to register what had happened before he sat up, quickly, and pulled her into a hug. This sent Gaara and I towards the edge.

We readied an attack and got waved to stand down by Azamuku. "I'm so sorry Azamuku. Thank you." He said. "Get off." She ordered. He sat back quickly, looking down and clearly understanding why she hated him. "You have more than a lot of making up to do, pretty boy." She began. She looked at me then at Gaara. She went to speak before realizing there were air vents in the rooms. "It's not safe, speaking out loud. Gaara. You're expected to be on watch for the time being. I'm pulling Sasuke." She said, looking at me. "Sit." She said. I slumped to the floor and crossed my legs, leaning against the wall.

She closed her eyes and next thing I knew, I was inside her head with Deidara and her. "Before anything, this has to be quick. We have to leave today. Otherwise he's going to come looking for us." She told me. I nodded in agreement and listened closely as she spoke.

"Your first assignment will not be for a few years. But it's an important one. Because if you fail, Sasuke and I die." She said. "And if I die, Gaara will kill you without mercy. Slowly... and as painfully as possible." She said to him. He nodded, listening. "I am going to link you to me in a way. Through this link, I can see through you and communicate with you via thoughts." She began to explain.

"You cannot, however, jump into my body as Sasuke does. But you will be able to hear my thoughts in return and see the general area of which I would be in." She continued. "The first time you hear me, you're going to freak out and wonder what's going on. It's normal." She said as I listened. "When I say so, you are to follow my exact coordinates to the best of your abilities and wait outside." She said. "Remain hidden and don't explode anything until I say so." She said to him. "I see where this is going." I said.

"On her command, you are to detonate your clay, destroying the wall of the room we'd be in." I said. She nodded, confirming my words. "Once detonated, you are to take to the skies as quickly as possible. Sasuke and I will remain on the ground." She explained. "As we run, if they start getting too close, drop them a little gift here and there." She continued. "I know your abilities. If I didn't, I wouldn't task you with this next part." She said. I listened and looked back and forth between he two.

"Follow us to a clearing. When we get to one, drop down behind us. I will shield us from the attack. Your bird lands in front of us and just as anyone that's left comes up to it, do what you do best." She said, grinning. "Make things go boom?" He said, his eyes sparkling. "Big boom." She said. "I will replace us with clones that have 'died' and look horribly mangled by the explosion. Then when they fall for it, we all carry on by foot, staying low and hidden." She said.

"Once we have successfully gotten away, we DO NOT come back here, right way. We head to Kumogakure." She said. "Your village?" I asked surprised. "Yes." She said. "There we'll lay low for a month or so before returning here." She said. "It's brilliant." I said, smiling at her. I was pulled from her mind and back into my own body when I heard things being torn apart outside. "Muku." Gaara said, pulling her back as well. "They're here. And they're looking for you two." He said.

She looked at Deidara. "You stay put until Gaara comes back and tells you that you can leave." She said. "It's show time." She told me as she ran to Gaara. "I promise I'll be back. Don't forget." She said placing her hand over the pendant. "I love you, little sister." He said, hugging her. "I love you too, Big brother." She said, hugging back. "Come on. We have to go before they kill someone and destroy the village." I told her. "Tell Temari and Kankuro I'll be back." She said.

I could tell it was tearing her apart to run from them once more. We pushed open the room door and sprinted down the hall towards the main entrance. "Ready?" I asked. "No." She said, erasing all emotion from her body. "But let's go." She said. We ran outside and stood in the middle of the street. "STOP!" She shouted.

The few sound ninja had stopped and turned around to face us. "We're right here. No strings attached. No tricks. Take us and leave this village alone. You know Lord Orochimaru will be disappointed in you if you cause more trouble than needed." She shouted. They came over to us and cuffed our hands together, walking us out the village gates. Don't worry, Gaara. I'll bring her back unharmed and stronger than ever.