Author's Note: I am MOST CERTAINLY NOT DEAD! XD

I'm sorry for the looong break- I've just had school and work and blah, and this fic sort of just got caught up in Hurricane Busy. Sorry about the short chapter- but more's coming, and fast... because I am BACK! 8'D

Enjoy! :3

Chapter Eleven

The bird exploded, blowing chunks of itself all over the ground. Smoke poured into the air.

"STOP THEM!" a man yelled, grabbing at his hat and pointing into the smoke. "THIEVES!" He stumbled, falling to the ground amid the chunks of wall.

"Why can't your stupid explosions be more quiet?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. Explosions, can you please shut up a little? Thanks, un."

"Har, har, har. So funny."

"You're just jealous that I'm funnier than you. Admit it."

"This is NOT the time for that, idiot!"

"Right. Let's go."

Two shapes burst out from the gray cloud, trails of smoke billowing under their cloaks. They darted towards the line of trees up ahead, feet almost blurring as they kicked off the grass.

"HEY!" A few people ran after them, yelling-

But then the two sailed into the air, landing lightly among the tree branches above them. They ran breathlessly through the treetops for a while, until Sakura glanced back and saw that they weren't being followd.

She leapt down from the branches, and Deidara followed, hitting the ground. Dust rose up under the fluttering of his cloak, and he stood.

"Yes! Safe, haha." Deidara said, pumping his fist and grinning.

"Yeah, yeah." Sakura glumly responded, dropping the bag she'd been holding in her tightly clenched fist onto the ground.

"What's wrong?" Deidara cooed, voice melting into a mocking tone. "Does someone not like steeeealing? Does someone think that steeeealing is wrong?"

"Don't mock me!" she scoffed, crossing her arms. "These are perfectly good people we're stealing from here. They didn't do anything to us."

"You know what? Maybe it's karma. Maybe they did do something wrong, and we're just unconsciously carrying out justice." He pulled a steak out of the stolen bag. "See? They killed the poor cow."

"Well, you're going to EAT the poor cow!"

"So are you, un." Deidara said, flicking her on the nose.

"Ow!" she hissed. "Stop it!"

But then Deidara laughed, eyes sparkling as they flickered towards her. "Your face looks funny." he said, picking up the bag on the ground and slinging it over his shoulder.

Sakura couldn't help but laugh too, until it diminished into a giggle and faded away. She shook her head, realizing that she didn't even fully know what she was laughing about.

"Come on. We have some steak to cook." Deidara said, and Sakura ran, catching up to him. They walked together.

It had been a few months since Sakura had been flown away, give or take a few days. Crisp winter had melted into youthful spring, and now the trees were full of lush, green leaves.

And they were happy.

They'd had a few more brushes with the Akatsuki. Close calls. Open wounds.

But it was okay.

Right?

No.

Because you can always run, you can run from anything... but hiding? That's different.

And Deidara and Sakura would come to learn that, once the relatively peaceful period of time came to its inevitable end.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"WHAT IS THIS?" Kakuzu yelled, smashing his elbow into Hidan's chest. Hidan staggered, trying to regain his balance.

A slim, tattered book dangled from Kakuzu's hand, its pages fluttering in the wind.

"I can explain-"

"Oh? Then START explaning."

Hidan opened his mouth, then closed it. His brows descended into a fierce angle. "Well, you know what, Kakuzu? I don't tell you how to live YOUR life! It's MY book, and I have the right to-!"

"The right?" Kakuzu let out a short, sharp laugh, like a dog's bark. "The RIGHT? You think you have RIGHTS?"

Hidan gritted his teeth, drawing his scythe. "Know what? I am just about FED UP WITH YOU! You CANNOT tell me how to practice my religion, or tell me what I FRICKIN' CAN AND CAN'T DO!"

"Watch me." Kakuzu said coolly, eyes narrowing as he clenched his fist-

"Calm down."

A voice came from the shadows of the trees, and both Hidan and Kakuzu tensed. Hidan loosened his grip on his scythe.

"I was just telling Hidan-"

"I know." the voice said. "I could hear you a mile away. Now, what's that in your hand?"

"I took it from Hida-"

"RAG-FACE-!"

"Shut UP, you idiotic-"

"Both of you, QUIET!" the voice boomed. A hand extended forward. "Now, Kakuzu- give me that."

Kakuzu walked forward, dropping it into the waiting hand. There was a moment of silence.

"Hidan." the voice said. "Do you know what this is?"

"Yeah. It's MY BOOK."

"No." the voice said. The person shook his head. "This is enemy propaganda, designed to make you soft and weak. Take a look at this tree, Hidan." His hand gestured towards a nearby tree.

"Yeah, what of it?"

"It looks strong, doesn't it?" the voice said softly. The speaker ran his hand down the rough tree bark. "So rough outside... but see that hole up there? There are squirrels in this tree. They've made a home inside it, eaten away at the wood. This tree... is impure. Do you know what is done with impure wood?"

The hand shot out and smashed into the tree. It splintered, heavy top falling over, and smacked loudly into another tree, which also snapped. The earth shuddered with the impact when it all hit the ground.

"See?" the voice said. "It fell. It also destroyed another tree, which was perfectly healthy- at least, until its life was cut short by this big, rotten tree. Do you understand, Hidan?"

"Yes." Hidan lied, a bead of sweat running down the side of his head.

"Good." the voice said. "I'm glad we've come to an understanding. Kakuzu, please take this trash and throw it out." The hand dropped the book back into Kakuzu's hand, and then the speaker was gone.

"You are officially an IDIOT." Hidan hissed through clenched teeth, whirling and stalking away.

"Oh? How was it MY fault that he showed up?"

Hidan ignored him, stepping over the fallen tree and glaring at it.

"Now the squirrels don't even have a home anymore." he muttered angrily.

Kakuzu blinked. "What-"

"Nothing." Hidan muttered, stepping back over the tree and going to a spot next to the fire. "I'm going back to sleep, douchebag. I hope you die."

"I'm immortal."

"I HOPE YOU DIE ANYWAY!" Hidan yelled, turning on his side and putting his head on his pack.

Kakuzu shook his head, sitting down. Eventually, he heard Hidan's breathing slow.

His eyes settled on the fallen tree before him. He looked back at Hidan, then at the tree. "The squirrels don't have a home, he says." Kakuzu muttered. "The squirrels, of all things. Who cares about the stupid squirrels?" He looked down at the book.

And what kind of book could this be, for it to change Hidan? Hidan is stubborn. I know Hidan.

Whether it was the sick fascination that drove him to do it, or the curiosity, or just the boredom of the night, he would never know. But the fact is, Kakuzu opened the book, holding the first page down under his rough hands. He read the first sentence, then the next, then a paragraph. One page turned into five pages, and that into fifteen, and onwards- but Kakuzu didn't care. The world had stopped moving around him.

Or maybe... it didn't stop.

Maybe, just maybe... it had finally started moving again.