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"You can't play stupid with me," she said, feeling the band loosen and falling over her left eye. "But If you really want to run away, that's fine with me." She sat down on the water, as if it was a wooden floor, and laid down on her side, crossing her legs over one another, propping her head up with her hand, her elbow resting on the water, her only visible eyebrow raised at him.

She smirked lazily. "You know. I like you. For a guy with glasses, you are kinda cute. Anyway, I don't feel like fighting anymore." Her eyes faded back to normal after she blinked. "And I'm sorry for making fun of you. And the aura thing--I was lying. I just wanted to see if I could trick it out of you, because buddy, you're never gonna pass Chuunin exams if you keep fighting like you are."

She stopped talking. "My mother could sense auras. She was a very gifted woman. She's still alive, but I haven't seen her in years." She closed her eyes. "Why am I telling you all this?"

She shrugged. "Hopefully, water will douse fire and I'll win." Athena leapt up to her feet, smiling a little and following him out of the forest.

(Deidara, Hoshigaki, Uchiha)

"Hey, Deidara?" Kisame looked down below them, an ocean of trees was all in sight. "I think it's safe to land for a break- I doubt we'll stop for the night."

Deidara nodded. In response, the clay bird lowered, flying only a few feet above the trees. The creature landed in a hill clearing and the three Akatsuki climbed off.

Hoshigaki glanced about his surroundings. Though they were far from Konoha, dangers seemed to surface when shinobi least expect it. He looked over at Itachi. The young missing-nin was leaning against one of the trees, clutching his neck and breathing aloud.

"Itachi? What's wrong?" Kisame approached, also catching Deidara's attention.

"I..." At first, the pain seemed miniscule, almost unnoticeable. After only a few seconds, though, the stinging feeling crept through his entire body, magnifying with each second. The Uchiha collapsed to his knees, now groping at the intense pain throughout his entire body.

"What the hell...?" Deidara stared with panic as Kisame dashed to the nin's side.

"What the hell's wrong with you!?"

"This... pain..." Itachi managed through short gasps of air. A short, broken, quiet scream escaped from his lips before it magnafied even more. With the strange, unbearable ache, he found he couldn't contain himself anymore. The Uchiha smashed his fist into the ground, creating a large indent, and yelled out it pain; this time much louder but more broken than before.

"What's wrong with him?!" Deidara asked with horrified expression.

"I don't know." Kisame looked down at Itachi, his left hand on his shoulder and his right lightly on his back.

After a few minutes of the intense aching, the Uchiha collapsed. He inhaled and exhaled deeply for a short while until his respiration evened out and he had clearly fallen into a state of unconsciousness.

Deidara's eyes lifted up to Hoshigaki. "Now what do we do?"

The shark-like being rose to his feet, still staring at the Uchiha. "I... know a medical ninja in the Village Hidden in the Mist. We should head there."

"Right now?"

"Right now."

((Yes. ^^))

((We'll pretend that there was a similar encounter as the one in the anime. ^^ And after she agreed to be Kage, Naruto ran ahead. Lets just head back to Konoha. Things have grown even darker since you left. I'll post in a sec.))

Tsunade smiled as she watched Naruto rush off in a streak of yellow, orange and blue. "He reminds me of his father." She said as she returned her blue eyed gaze to Jiraiya. "Hokage." She said as if trying to get used to the name.