Meh, this is beta’ed by Kiwi Blush. Those who already read it should, uhh…might want to consider reading it over again.

Disclaimer: I don’t own Naruto and really don’t want to, either, because I suck at drawing.

It’s in the Stars!

By Aesthetics

Prologue

Hazy clouds loomed over the darkening sky, shrouding the deserted and lifeless dry region. The sand dunes swayed lazily as a strong gust of wind blew over their wavy forms. As the wind swept over the sandy landscape, dust and dirt pumped up from the ground, creating a sandstorm.

A figure in a black robe with red clouds appeared abruptly, riding on a flying clay bird. Even though its wings flapped rapidly as it swooped like lightning across the dark and swirling sky, his stance appeared calm and in-control, with both legs swung over the gigantic clay bird and arms crossed at his chest. His long, blond bangs covered half the left side of his face while the rest of his hair was tied into a high ponytail.

The snow white bird looped around a twirling tornado of sand. Its powerful wings swerved dangerously close to the side of the whirlwind and quickly dodged it at the last second, leaving a thin amount of soft clay behind. The blond riding the bird gave a low whistle and patted the man-made creature's head proudly, although the bird didn't respond to the attention. The bird was alive and not alive simultaneously. The science behind the creation of this clay bird was quite complicated and with no doubt difficult to explain. It was a work of art.

He was on a mission ordered by the organization's leader to retrieve the escaped three-tailed demon that was said to be residing in a cave to the south of the northern desert near the country of rock; also known as Iwa, where only several daring ninjas wandered near. Of course, he had expected the task to be quite simple since he was from Iwa, and that’s one of the reasons why the Leader had chosen him instead of the others (and that it is his responsibility regarding rather the demon escaped or not because he was the one assigned to capture it in the first place).

Currently, he was still searching for it and only found a few but enough clues for him to be able to reach the demon in less than three hours. The Leader told him to lock the demon up in a more secure place so that it would not escape again; he had looked at him more intimidating than usual when he had said that with a menacing “Deidara”. The blond knew that only he would be able to annoy the Leader to no end, and he damn well enjoyed doing so!

A rumbling sound echoed above him as the temperature shifted from arid heat to freezing cold. It’s going to rain soon, probably less than a minute or so. I’d better get out of here, he thought, and sped up even faster than before. The angry whipping sound of wings flapping mercilessly was all he could hear as the thunderous rumbling of the storm reverberated through the air.

He pulled back the sleeve of his Akatsuki cloak, checking his wristwatch. The bright light of the neon green made especially for occasions such as this beamed “10:45 P.M." Two minutes left. I should be able to make it, then. I’ll have to hurry up, though; clay doesn't work well with rain, after all, he decided. He glanced up and saw the clouds hovering close together, maneuvering at a slow pace. Using his camera patched over his left eye that was hidden behind long, blond locks, he activated it and mechanically checked the distance between the country itself and the desert hastily.

The clay bird faltered slightly as a strong flurry of wind brushed against its stomach. It resumed flying through the dust filled sky, careful to keep its distance from the storm. A sudden burst of air from behind pushed the bird off course and it desperately flapped its wings to keep its balance.

Caught by surprise, Deidara felt himself lurch forward, legs dangling at an odd angle from the bird’s side. He managed to stay on by planting a firm grip on a large amount of clay feathers. He gritted his teeth as he felt a burst of sand slap against the bottom of his Akatsuki cloak. Agitated, he signaled the bird to slow down so that he would be able to climb back up. The white clay bird did as told and slowly dropped its pace, wings beating steadily but ready to move as soon as its master settled safely.

Deidara carefully wove his way up, trying to avoid the wings, and quickly settled on its back. He urged it on, growling with his brows furrowed together, by jabbing his finger north as the sky grew darker. The bird made no reaction besides accelerating forward inch by inch as the sand on the ground picked up speed. They had got to go, and they needed to go, now!

“What's taking him so long?” An irritated voice hissed in the darkness, echoing around the rock cave. His rough and raspy voice sounded metallic, as though they are inside a machine.

An annoyed clicking voice next to him replied.

Another person, also hidden in shadows, answered with a deep and self-righteous voice, “It doesn't matter, as long as the demon is safe.”

“Che— that Deidara…” The sound of muffled feet retreating seemed three times louder than usual in the stilled cavern. “I hope he doesn't get into any trouble, though…” The deep and raspy voice murmured. The person next to him chuckled.

“You're getting too soft, Sasori. One day, it'll catch up to you,” his companion stated.

“As if,” Sasori countered, earning a bark of laughter from the taller figure.

The sandy landscape passed by briefly before being replaced by an endless, dense forest. Leaves and branches were ripped from trees as squall took place. From his perspective, everything from below looked vivid, almost as if he was in a high-definition movie. That was what he liked about flying; everything could be seen and judged, and he liked to call it a work of art, even if it was just riding on a clay bird.

This place should be good enough to land, un, he nodded to himself as the bird dived downward towards the green area, as if reading his mind.

As they continued to propel downwards, he realized a big mistake; the bird wouldn't be able to fit, with its massive figure and weight. The forest seemed closer now, clearer, even. Deidara hurriedly signaled it to stop, but found that he didn’t need to, because the bird itself also realized. It circled above the trees much like a predator waiting for just the right moment to spring upon its prey. The bird seemed to have a mind of its own as it examined the green blur to find an opening, or clearing large enough to fit itself and its passenger.

Upon its satisfaction, it folded its wings and carefully lowered itself into the empty area, where trees grew scarce. Deidara watched as white wings surrounded around him from both sides, and felt the bird descend with amazing speed and pinpoint accuracy so as not to harm its owner. It's a work of art indeed, un, he approved with content, nodding.

Its wings parted slowly as it landed gracefully on the ground, scuffing the earth as it beat its wings a final time before letting Deidara dismount. He jumped off the bird's back, and brushed off imaginary dust from his polished black Akatsuki cloak. The clay bird lowered its head regally as Deidara patted it while meticulously scrutinizing the clearing. The bird vanished with a resonant 'pop!' that set off a cloud of lingering smoke on its spot.

The sound of strong currents of water rushing past rocks filled the silent clearing. His ears perked up and he licked his dry, parched lips hungrily. There's water here. Good, because I'm as dry as the desert and in need of fresh and drinkable water, Deidara thought hazily, as he set off in the direction of the sound of streaming currents in search for what he had in mind. A long flight in a dry region could really exhaust a person.

It didn't take him long to find the clear, light blue color of the stream that sparkled under the reflection of the full moon. He squatted down on the rim of the river that was covered in rich soil and cupped a moderate amount of refreshing cold water into his hands. The mouths on his hands stuck out their tongues to taste the liquid, but retreated at the look on its master's face.

"I need to drink too, you know," he accused childishly. The mouths closed, but only after consuming all of the water from his cupped hands. "Oi!" Deidara shouted at his hands. If there was anyone around to hear him now, the sight of someone, especially an S-class Nin, speaking to his hands would most likely attract attention.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a shape moving. It seemed to be coming from a part in the river where the current was the most rapid. Inconspicuously, he searched inside his robe for a weapon. The sharp edge of a kunai brushed against his palm—also touching the disgusted mouth, not that he noticed—and he gripped it without a second thought. He cautiously calculated the distance between him and the intruder.

(Author's Note: Type in tobiranoyume, dot, imeem, then dot com -Go to this site, click on the playlist, and listen to the first song or else the atmosphere wouldn't feel right down there. Listen to the end!)

And to his utter and undisguised surprise, a head bobbed to the surface of the water. Deidara clutched the kunai close to his chest, defense still held up high no matter what the situation. Soft, blond hair matted on a tanned forehead followed by closed eyelids, a pointy nose, and pale lips from being in the water for too long came up from under the river. He stood, stunned, as the stranger's unruly blond hair glowed lightly under the moon's pale illumination. His lips looked really soft…and…

...And the stranger's head immediately disappeared under the torrent of rushing water, the only indication that he was there was the shadow of his floating form under the water. Then the shadow started moving away. Deidara felt himself involuntarily moving, running towards the sparkling stream, although he himself had no idea why. Automatically, blue chakra flowed through his body and reached his feet, concentrating there, keeping him upright on the water. He walked zealously over to where the shadow in the stream was, pulling back his sleeve as to avoid wetness.

He quickly reached under the cold water, feeling a brush of wet fabric before it moved. Deidara kneeled on top of the water; who cares about the cloak, anyway? He saw the shadow retreating, as if pulling away from reality. It seemed like he would have to swim, then. He released the hold of concentrated chakra, and dived underwater.

Everything down there seemed serene, as if nothing could ever disturb the peace. He slowly opened his eyes, allowing the stinging pain to subside as his body adjusted being underwater. Rocks glinted at the bottom of the river with small, blue fishes hiding from behind them. Something glimmered on his right, which captivated his attention. He saw the stranger floating sluggishly downward, coming to rest on top of small boulders where a few greenish blue creatures swiftly fled away from.

Deidara kicked his legs and swam towards the blond; a part of him persistently asked him why in the name of art was he saving a random person? However, he locked the question into the deepest realm of his mind.

As it was almost midnight, everything was completely shrouded in darkness, so he had to rely on the piece of metal that the blond was gripping on tightly. Upon closer inspection, he realized that it was a hitai-ate, and the symbol engraved in the center of it was an open spiral with a triangle attached at the bottom, a little over to the left. There were small scratches on the side of the metal as if it had endured wind, rain, and a number of mysterious adventures.

Deidara hesitated before winding his arms around the young Konoha shinobi's waist and, oddly enough, he found his cheeks warm up as blood rushed to his face. He brushed the incident off as just the result of a desperate need for air and kicked his feet off the rocky ground.

They emerged out of the deep stream, water splashing, him holding the younger blond bridal style. The boy appeared to be fevered, his forehead steamed when Deidara accidentally brushed against it with his chin as they were heading towards the ground. The blond felt ridiculously light as Deidara, carrying him, trudged across the river. His pace slowed as the boy writhed painfully in his arms, his breaths rasping.

Deidara laid the blond on the ground, removing his arms from his waist. Although he didn’t understand, he felt the need to hold the blond, even just a little longer. The dilemma tormented his thoughts and also his self-control. He shook his head to clear his mind, wondering why he was having such...strange and inappropriate thoughts...

As he struggled internally, the thin, black shirt of said subject began to glow a bright dark red color that harshly contrasted against the dark night. The chakra’s threatening presence and its unusual color alerted all of Deidara’s six senses, letting him know that this was not something he could deal with alone if it had decided to attack him. The blond lying on the ground seemed to settle down as the vulgar chakra traveled from his stomach all over his body, the light brightening up the dark forest.

The dark red chakra flowed around the boy's neck and traveled upward towards his face, where three inhuman fox-like whiskers were drawn on both sides of his cheeks, ending close to the start of his neck. The chakra snaked up his face and settled on his forehead, seeming to absorb the fever spread all throughout his body. Color seemed to return to his lips to a healthy pink.

Deidara watched in fascination as the bright chakra began to form a seal on the center of the stranger's stomach. The chakra twisted around in black and red highlights to form a Two Season Seal, and then came the Eight Astronomical seal that Deidara once overheard the Leader telling Itachi about. It seemed that the bearer of a tailed demon possessed this type of a seal, and to gather all of the information via Kisame and Itachi were sent to capture the Kyuubi, then that must mean...

He smirked deviously. It seemed like the start of what little and troublesome a journey can transform into a much more deserved one. It was exactly hitting two birds with one stone. First the three-tailed demon and the Kyuubi no Youko were in his hands. Second he would be able to boast about his great catch in front of a whole crowd of Akatsuki members including the man who never showed any emotion, AKA Uchiha, Itachi. This was a well deserved mission indeed.

A drop of wetness landed on his head caused him to snap out of his wild and in depth thoughts. He glanced up and saw gray clouds pressing together forming a tight circle in the sky. Big oops, it seemed like he had wasted more time than he could spare; it was raining hard.

A shuffle of fabrics scraping the ground alerted him that the unconscious blond had woken up. Deidara stared at the younger shinobi, who was trying to sit up with his elbows propped on both sides. He allowed a small smirk to grace his features as he studied without saying anything at the frustrated young blonde, whose eyes were still closed, no doubt wanting to get back to his comfy, long nap.

The whiskered blond gave up and fell backwards with a thud! His hair was still matted on his forehead, making him look irresistibly...cute... Argggh! Snap out of it, Deidara! His thought snapped like a thread snipped in half by scissors as he glared determinedly at his own black cloak.

Large raindrops thudded against the ground, at first damping both their hairs and clothes. The younger of the two shivered as the temperature dropped into the thirties, rain now pouring and dumping onto the earth with its new companions. Suddenly, warmth seeped through to his skin comfortably, as a large, black cloak with red clouds was draped over his shoulders. His eyes fluttered open, ocean blue orbs demanding a reasonable answer.

Deidara involuntarily stared back at the young blond, and into...enrapturing eyes. He read the question in them and decided to smirk instead of answering. The stranger’s eyes pressed on harder, determined to make him answer. Deidara was about to reply until the blond's voice broke out under the raining sky.

"What about you?" His voice cracked from disuse, but other than that it seemed to be filled with concern.

"Huh, me?" Not expecting that question, he was thrown off for a second. "I can handle the cold," he answered with a grin. The boy didn’t look convinced but he accepted the answer anyway, his gaze becoming blank.

It was all silent, except for the sound of the rain and wind swishing through the trees.

"Nee..." The shorter blond's voice broke the silence, his tone obviously unsure. Deidara glanced at him out of the corner of his eye inquiringly, but didn't hear the question he was about to ask as the storm thundered in the air. Deidara stood up and so did the blond, well at least he tried to, but it seemed like his muscles were still weak from disuse.

He had expected to feel the hard ground again and braced himself against the pain, by closing his eyes. But instead, he felt strong arms supporting his back and waist from under the cloak that the stranger gave him. He opened up his eyes slowly, as if afraid that it was an illusion, but found himself staring into said stranger's dark green eyes that reminded him of a bird’s. He also had blond hair, but it was much longer than his and it covered the left side of his face. The rest of his hair was tied up into a high ponytail that was matted down by rain. He also noticed that the stranger appeared noticeably handsome…

The boy’s face was pressed against his chest as he held him, once again, bridal style. Somehow, everything seemed to end the same way as before, except that he was still conscious. Oh, and the fact that his arms were wrapped around the stranger’s neck to avoid plummeting to the ground. For some reason, Deidara's arms felt like they were lead even though the blond in his arms probably didn't even weigh more than paper...well, obviously more than paper... The fact that his whole body seemed like it was on fire and also that really warm body he was holding in his arms didn't help much. It didn’t help at all, because said blond snuggled even closer because of the coldness. How much warmer could it get?

He rushed through the forest, leaping from branch to branch meanwhile holding the blond around the waist and the crooks of his legs. They would need a place to shelter in before returning to the Akatsuki hideout since they wouldn’t be able to reach Iwa in the middle of the night, at least not while holding the Kyuubi vessel. So they would definitely need a place to stay before heading out in the morning.

Deidara glanced down at the sleeping blond in his arms, whose rhythmic breathing soothed his mind for some reason. Then again, the boy had made him feel so many different mixed emotions in just one freakin' day that it was hard not to admit. Most of them are incomprehensible; foreign, to say the least. It was almost as if he was treating the vessel the same as the other members of Akatsuki. They barely spoke, and there was nothing really special about him, except for the look in his bright azure eyes. His whiskered marks that would probably look ridiculous on other people made him look quite adorable. Wait! When did he start being all mushy-mushy about something like this, anyway?

The blond in his arms yawned and stretched his arms. He blinked cutely, and stared back at the older blond who was still carrying him. His eyes traveled back and forth between their close position and into the eyes of the same stranger from before. His hair had since dried and his cheeks appeared to be tinted pink…

The silence, comfortable silence, stretched on as they continued to study each other. It wasn't long before the younger decided to disrupt the quiet with a...

"I'm hungry."

And the look on Deidara's face says: "WTF?!"

Naruto: Am not! (Face red)

Me: Ah well...

Sasori: It seems like Deidara is the main for this chapter...

Me: Ahaha..hahah (Feels death glare at the back of me...-Gulp-)

Please review and...AHHHH! Save me from Sasori!