WD: Hey look! I updated in the same month! :D

Ahem. Anyway, sorry in advance for the shortness of the chapter. The next chapter will be around...sometime. I guess within the next month since I'm almost done my semester, and I've already started writing chapter 23. But anyway, don't expect it too soon. And I apologise for all the time skipping (past and present). It's just...the story wouldn't get anywhere, and it would mostly just be empty filler chapters. So, I skipped ahead to the plot. Don't know if that's ok or whatever, but yeah.

And now onto poll update!

Actually, I decided to close the poll, since it's been a loooooooooong time, and the winner is pretty clear, even now after I mentioned it. So without further ado:

In fifth place is What happened last time on the camping trip, Zetsu, Kakuzu, and Kisame with 1 vote each. Maybe another time guys.

In fourth place is Tobi and Tobi's Birthday Party with 2 votes each.

In third place is Sasori with 6 votes, wich was pretty close to

Second place. With 7 votes, Hidan takes the runner up position, which means, yes

Deidara is in first with, count 'em, 16 votes!

The winner was obvious. I didn't think 10 people would vote for Hidan, before a bunch of people voted for Deidara again. So, I decided to close it. Also....I'm getting close to another hundred reviews. O.o So....I'm running a little behind schedual. But to be sure, by the time the next chapter comes out, I'll probably have finished the Deidara X Kari oneshot....and I'll probably also have to put up another poll since I am only 18 reviews away from 300.

All I can say is wow. You are all wonderful. Thank you so much for all the support, and enjoy this chapter.

Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto, not me. I do, however own all original character(s), inanimate objects, and original plot ideas.

Chapter 22 (I realize I forgot to put this last chapter. Oops...)

The month of May was a flurry of exam panic. Kari had all but locked herself away to study like a madwoman. Her friends visited less and less, leaving her to study in peace. They also needed to study.

May was a hectic time. Not only were exams just around the corner, but Kari had since heard many slithering sounds in her room. She had kept her silence, not wanting to scare anyone, and also because nothing had happened. Yet. But, she left the slithering alone, focusing on studying for her exams.

The exams came and went with or without ease. Kari, however, felt confident that she had passed all of them.

Kari left the room of her final exam, making her way to the group meeting point. As she waited for the others to arrive, she let out a relieved sigh.

The exams were finally over.

The rest of her male friends make their way over to her.

"Yes! We're finally fuckin' done!!" There were more cheers, much like Hidan's as they other students filed out of the exam rooms.

"Party at Deidara-sempai's!!" Tobi exclaimed. There were cheers of agreement and protests from a blonde artist.

"Sure, trash my dorm, h'mm," Deidara muttered to himself, although with a smile on his face. No one could truly be down after the last exam of the year.

The party had been wild, nothing short of their usual parties. Kari briefly noted that they had a lot of parties during the year. She laughed and partied along with her friends, but couldn't help but feel a sense of dread as the party slowed down and some of the guys started to leave. She was a little afraid to return to her dorm, if she were truthful. The slithering and hissing had gotten worse, and it scared her. She debated whether she should tell her friends.

She looked at them, the ones that were still around and shook her head. No, she shouldn't worry them. It was probably nothing serious anyway.

"Hey, Kari, you alright, h'mm?" Deidara asked. Kari was broken from her thoughts and she looked up at her blonde friend.

"Hm? Oh, yeah, I'm fine," she replied. Deidara smiled.

"Just making sure, h'mm. You were a little out of it," he said, grabbing a chair and sitting next to her. She smiled tiredly at him.

"Just thinking about nothing. I'm a little tired too," she replied. Deidara nodded.

"You should go home then, h'mm. Unless you want to sleep here, h'mm?" he asked. Kari paused and thought over his offer. If she asked to stay here, then he might think something was wrong. She shook her head.

"No, no. I'm fine. I'll just be heading off then," she answered, getting up and making her way to the door. He followed her.

"See you tomorrow, h'mm," he muttered as he began to pick up the garbage the party left him.

"Yeah, see you tomorrow Deidara," she called back as she walked away. She watched the door close out of the corner of her eye and couldn't help but get a strong sense of foreboding.

That night, Kari slept restlessly. There was something she wasn't getting. Something she was missing. As she tossed and turned, she never noticed a shadow creeping up from behind her.

Deidara woke with a yawn and went about his normal routine for the day. As he ate his breakfast, he couldn't help but feel...

He couldn't really describe it. But it wasn't good, of that he was certain. Irritated with himself, Deidara left his dorm in a huff, walking to the appointed meeting place for the day.

As he walked his thoughts drifted to his girl friend. His feelings for her lately had been muddled and confusing. He never really gave himself much time to think on it. It had all started with those fireworks...

Well, that was a white lie. It really probably started long before that, but he hadn't realized it.

He was a little irritated because he couldn't figure out what his feelings were. Every time he thought 'friend', it felt wrong, but he couldn't think of what else she could be to him. When he had brought it up with Sasori, his puppet friend had merely given him a blank look and called him an 'unobservant, oblivious, moron'. He tried talking to Kisame and he had laughed and said basically the same thing.

The process repeated, no matter which friend he had talked to.

Except for Itachi. Itachi had given him a disgusted look and said, "Figure it out yourself, idiot." Really. What had he done to deserve that kind of treatment?

When Deidara arrived at the meeting place, he was feeling severely irritated, however his irritation dissolved immediately upon arriving. His other friends were all here. Not surprising, since he himself was late. There was only one other person missing, and she was almost never late.

Kari.

"Where's Kari, h'mm?" Deidara asked the others. Sasori gave him an irritated glance.

"And why are you late?" he demanded. Deidara glared back.

"I slept in, h'mm. So what?" Sasori huffed.

"Kari is missing," he replied. Deidara's blood ran cold.

"Wh-what, h'mm? But- I mean, are you sure, h'mm? Did you call her, or maybe she slept in, h'mm." Deidara continued to ramble until Zetsu shut him up.

"We called but there was no answer," white Zetsu spoke up.

"We even called Rose, but she doesn't know where she is either," black Zetsu added.

"We were about to go over there now," Kakuzu said.

"Well, what are we waiting for, h'mm? Let's go," Deidara replied. He didn't even retort to Sasori's mutters of, "We were waiting for you, idiot."

What met them at the end of their journey was a broken down door. There was a moment of pause before they moved in. The walls were slashed; the kitchen table was knocked over. There was an obvious sign of a struggle. The boys were frozen in shock, but were snapped out of it when they heard a soft moan, coming from the wall.

"Where is she, h'mm!?" Deidara demanded at the wall.

'Ugh...Who...who are you...to be...ordering...m-me around,' the wall replied, trying to keep a brave face.

"Cut the crap, h'mm! Where is she, h'mm!?"

"Deidara, stop panicking. We won't get anything out of the wall if you keep screeching like a banshee," Sasori said sternly.

"We're Kari's friends," white Zetsu spoke up. The wall was silent for a moment, before whimpering and crying.

'Mmm...Kari...ohh...she...she... Kari was kidnapped!'