A.N: This chapter took so long! Sorry about the wait

Chapter Six: The Simplest Cure

Flying felt good. It felt even better with Hinata holding onto my pant legs as we did a tight turn over the Hokage Mountain. I was a bit rusty at flying but after hitting a few to many cold air pockets and Hinata almost getting a heart attack each time we dropped a few hundred feet I got a hang of it again. What? Did she think I was going to be a freaking pro after months of not even touching exploding clay in my hands?

"Watch it Deidara!" she screamed for the millionth time as I flew over roof tops, scaring the civilians below shitless. I rolled my eyes and took a nearly vertical ascend nearly 5, 000 feet. I was happy to find that we where moving fast enough that I couldn't hear Hinata's bloody murder of a scream. A trail of curses came from the indigo haired woman as we leveled out. She swore like a sailor, it was pretty sweet.

"Hold on Pearl," I said crouching down slightly. The left wing dipped and we went into a barrel roll making Hinata both scream in my ear and burry her nails into my thighs. Which I wasn't bothered by at all, it was the deafening screaming that was annoying. Then again I couldn't blame her, with her sensitive eyes the world must seem really dizzying moving so fast and so high up.

The bird did three rolls before we where right side up again. I laughed and stood up again. Hinata's eyes where big and she was glaring up at me. We drifted for a while and I sat down folding my arms across Hinata's neck and resting my head on her shoulder. She let me but I could feel her back muscles tighten and her spin stiff.

"What are you doing?" she finally asked when I didn't move.

"Nothing," I said "just resting hmm." She didn't seem satisfied by my answer and tilted her head slightly to look down her nose at me. I raised a pale brow at her.

"You're a goof," she muttered and sighed relaxing and curling her back into my chest.

"I love you yeah," I said and I could tell that she rolled her pale eyes at that.

"No, you don't you love Sakura," she corrected and I almost said 'Oh right,' but kept the comment to myself. "What's with you and girls that already have boyfriends…or husbands."

"They are the most interesting," I said with a smile "and I like making trouble for myself yeah."

"Yourself and everyone else."

"Does S-Class mean nothing to you?" I reminded her and she rolled her eyes again. "Guess not it didn't stop you before yeah," I said to be joking but she pulled away from me and glared over her shoulder.

"Put me down," she demanded.

Fuck what did I do now?

"That was a stupid thing to say wasn't it?" I murmured looking at her like a whipped dog. She nodded at me, apparently she didn't like thinking about me like that. She didn't love me even if we where perfect for each other. "Sorry Pearl," I said with a half smile "it's just you know, I've been thinking a lot lately yeah."

"I can tell," she said trying to be sarcastic but I could see the pink in her white skin, she'd never be able to hide her bashfulness. "Anyway no, please Deidara, don't really be in love with me okay?" I just stared at her and smiled.

"Sure Pearl yeah," I lied and she smiled back. I mean what could I say? There was no point in pushing her when she was asking so politely and looking so cute doing so. It would be criminal to get her angry.

"A ticket," I grumbled at the ANBU while Hinata giggled behind me "for what hmm?"

"Some of the group thought this was some sort of attack," said the female behind the mask. "You where nearly shot out of the sky, I'd watch it if I where you." And with that comment she vanished and I was left to sulk.

"Damn like I'm not in enough dept as it is yeah!" I yelled rubbing the back of my neck and looking on how much I was to pay. Hinata giggled and I glared at her with a smirk. "What?"

"You get angry so easily," she said with her bell like voice "it's not like Tsunade-sama would kick you out, she likes you to much."

"Yeah well I need to get a job pronto because I'm going to get fat and die from the sodium in take yeah," I said rolling my eyes. That was a ramen joke if you didn't get it. Stay with me dumb people jeez.

"Naruto's lived off ramen his whole life and he's fine," she said with a smile as we started back to the village.

"You know I heard Tailed Beasts get all of there super natural energy from microwavable ramen hmm," I said looking up at the noon sky, it was brilliantly warm.

One thing about the Leaf Village that I really was not accustom to was the year round summers. The Earth County has four seasons and with it being fall I missed the changing of the leaves that signaled the coming of winter. I suppose it was just in my nature as being an artistic person to want back the four different beauties of spring, summer, fall, and winter.

Orange, red, yellows the colors of fall. The colors of fire, the colors of destruction, the colors of art!

"Is that so?" Hinata smiled and I nodded. "I always thought it was just that he's a pig."

"Huh?" I blinked being pulled from my thoughts and more importantly the madness.

"Are you okay Deidara?" she asked putting a pale hand on my forehead "you seemed out of it all of a sudden."

"I'm fine un," I muttered taking her small hand onto my own and spinning her around, she squeaked at the sudden dizzying movement. When she stopped back in front of me she blushed and turned away.

"See you later Deidara-san."

Deidara-san? How common, how very unloving, uncaring. I kind of thought she wouldn't be so bashful around me, I mean she's like my best friend. Best friends can spin each other; there was no affection behind the spin, no alternative motive. I just wanted to see her smile or laugh so she wouldn't worry so much over me.

Why must women be so cruel? Why has happiness become so hard to grasp? Long ago I thought I knew what I wanted out of life, it was so simple back then. When did things become so complicated and irreversible? Was there ever a time when I did not hear the madness in the back of my head?

If so, could I ever silence it again?

I knew the answer, we all knew the answer. I'd have to kill myself to silence the madness, for I am the madness. Death. Nothingness. One blast then nothing.

How very artistic.

"Art is a bang," I said under my breath as I walked back to my apartment alone.

Do it.

I opened the door but did not shut it behind me. I crossed the chilled tile floor of the kitchen to my room for the last time. I smiled feverously, crazily I know, the box of clay was just within my studio, untouched yet by human hands. My death would only need a hand full of clay for my death to destroy half of the village…but I wonder, Oh how I wonder! What if I where to consume an entire twenty pounds of explosive clay? What magnificent work of art would the ninja world behold?

No one could stop me; no one would have time to talk sense to me. I'm far too gone, long gone. Why had I even bothered attempting to change? What kind of life could a devil have among angels? Surely not a pleasant one! I'd been a fool to think I could live a normal life after being far too insane to even live; life was not mine to have and not mine to give. I would die today as many artists do, penniless, alone, and with no children to remember me. All I'll I have is my art. My true art.

"Art is…" I was about to obsessively say my battle catch phrase once more but I was stalled by something beautiful and naked sitting on a table in the middle of the room. I was so shocked my pervious monolog was forgotten completely and all I could think was 'why is there a naked girl on my table?' "Can I help you yeah?" I asked the girl whom I'd never met.

"I'm the model you hired for a painting," she said very professionally even for being butt naked in front of me. "I just assumed you wanted me plat formed or something."

"Oh right," I said still kind of out of it. "Kind of early."

"Is it?" she piped "I can come back later if you find it necessary!" Her black eyes where big as dinner plates and I smiled, she's cute.

"Nah I'll do some sketches now," I said looking away a bit so I'm not staring at her body. "I'll get some blankets you can sit on. I want drapery and softness in the piece yeah."

"Softness," she murmured settling back down "I can do that!"

I said nothing and went to get a drawing board and the desired sized paper. I was calm and my mind was free of any suicidal thoughts though I knew they where there, the madness howled in the back of my head but the young model helped me to ignore its charms.

If not for this woman I'd be dead and perhaps hundreds more dead for the sake of my art. I should blame and be angry at her for foiling my intentions but I couldn't be mad at her unawareness and her willingness to please me. She acted as if I mattered more then her own well being. She acted as if her body where just a prop for me to position into anything I wanted, she was a human chunk of clay for my own personal molding. She was a very good model too.

"What's your name Artist-sama?" she said an hour into the session. She's been laying in the same position soundlessly and motionlessly so the sudden question kicked my brain back into normal thought.

"Deidara," I answered her, my eyes moving from her and to the paper and back as I drew.

"Deidara," she said softly not changing her expression, like I said she was a very good model and could speak without ruining her face. "I'm Ai."

"Pleaser," I said engrossed in my current work.

"How is it looking?" she asked and I could tell she was beginning to get cramped up from sitting in the same spot for so long.

"Beautiful," I said "nearly finished too but we can have a break and tea yeah."

"Sounds wonderful," Ai said hoping off the table and got her close from the floor. I smirked and left the room to let her change and went to the kitchen.

"So," she said walking in fully dressed in a large sweater and ripped jeans. "You have a girlfriend Artist-sama?" I smiled at the ironic question as I poured two cups of green tea. "Your more handsome then most of the other artists I model for."

"And your how old?" I asked putting down a steaming cup in front of her. She gave a half smirk resting the cup between her two hands. "You look like your sixteen hmm."

"I'm eighteen and you never answered my question," Ai persisted and I sighed blowing some hair out of my face.

"If I had a girlfriend I wouldn't be hiring nude models," I answered and she raised a brow at me and I stared back at her.

"So I'm guessing you don't have sex often," she said slyly with a seductive smile.

"Shame isn't it?" I asked putting the tea to my lips and closed my eyes as the hot liquid went down my throat.

"Maybe I can fix that," she said reaching across the table to kiss me and I let her.

"Maybe you should," I murmured on her lips and ran my hands threw her soft black hair. And I wondered while our breaths became heavier and our hearts beat faster if this is all you really need out of life, just someone who will reach out to you in your darkest moments.

A.N: Woah REVIEW PLEZ