SasoDei - Ocean Blues - Part 3

SasoDei - Ocean Blues

A Sequel to Underneath Thunderstorms

Part Three

A Commission for TerraKuman97

It was impossible for the duo to not draw attention to themselves as they entered the bar. The blonde looked as if he had already been drinking, for he stumbled, and had to occasionally rely on furniture to keep himself standing, while just the sight of a female in this bar was enough to make any patron uneasy. The female walked with a decisive sway in her motions, as if she were swimming through the air.

Their faces were cold and unwavering as they paid no attention to the surrounding patrons. They walked straight to the bar and the blonde easily slid onto a stool, while the girl took to leaning against the counter.

Both boy and girl were amazingly beautiful, but the stoniness in their faces deterred even the drunkest of drinkers.

Konan caught the attention of the bar owner, a sleaze of a man by the name of Jiraiya. "Well, look what the tide dragged in." He stood in front of them, leaning heavily on the counter while he pulled out two glasses from beneath the bar. "Looks like lil Konan has finally returned from the dead." He filled one glass with alcohol before turning to eye Deidara, curious. "You look like you've already had too much to drink."

"Forget about him." Konan drew the man's attention back to herself, downing the glass of alcohol in a single gulp, impressing the scum who still watched them. She slammed the glass on the table and eyed Jiraiya darkly, knowing exactly what questions to ask. "I'm interested in finding something."

"Everyone is trying to find something, sweetie." He leaned over the bar and poured the girl another drink, also filling the second glass for Deidara. Both glasses went untouched. "You have to be a bit more specific."

"I am looking for a fish." She spoke the word carefully and with emphasis. The dawn of realisation on Jiraiya's face was a relief, and almost comical.

His smile widened and he leaned in closer, dropping his voice to a low mumble. "Word is that Orochimaru has caught himself a curious catch in the last few days. Apparently he plans to auction this 'fish' for a pretty penny at midnight tonight."

"Any idea where?" As she spoke, Konan slid a shiny, golden doubloon across the countertop.

Jiraiya took the bribe with a grin. "At the old warehouse, just east of Sunagakure. Should only take about an hour to reach it, but you better hurry or you might miss out."

He winked and Konan straightened up, placing another gold doubloon on the counter, as payment for their drinks. "Thanks, old man." The bartender laughed at the name, and Konan downed the second glass of alcohol he had poured earlier, along with Deidara's untouched glass.

"Don't go getting yourself into trouble now, Konan, or else we might never meet again." He continued to smile, and Konan knew all that she needed.

"Deidara," she turned to the blonde, and he stood up sloppily, seeming out of place in the human scene. They turned to leave, but as they turned they were met by a group of three drunkards.

"Hey, pretty lady." The head of the group stepped close to her. He smelt of alcohol and arrogance. "You lookin' to make some pretty coinage? I can charge you by the hour."

Konan eyed him stoically, "I doubt you would last an hour." The man's supposed friends all snickered at his expense, and the man's cheeks grew flushed with embarrassment.

"What'd you say?" He growled and lunged at the woman, his fist held high.

The woman grabbed him by the approaching fist and flung him over her shoulder, slamming him down on top of a nearby table, breaking the wooden legs. The entire tavern stared at her in awe, utterly shocked by her display of strength. She straightened up and leisurely turned to look at Deidara. "Let's go."

The blonde nodded, and everyone moved out of their way, not prepared to risk another injured drunkard.

-x-

The warehouse was ahead, and it was obvious that something was going on inside. The lights were lit and several carriages were pulled up outside of it, the horses eagerly waiting for the return of their owners. "That's the place. They must be keeping Sasori locked up there." Konan pointed as she spoke, and Deidara nodded with a flash of determination lighting his face.

"If Danna is being held captive in there, then we must rescue him." Deidara marched ahead, still unsure on his feet, and Konan followed behind him eagerly.

They did not have to sneak into the building as they had originally thought; the door to the warehouse was wide open, with a mixture of people already swarming around it. Some were clearly wealthier than others, and there was a distinct separation between the classes attending, but all had come to see - and perhaps purchase - Orochimaru's supposed 'Catch'.

Deidara and Konan joined the group without suspicion. The warehouse was filled with seats, all facing a giant tank that was filled with water, but no merman. "Are you sure he'll be here, un?"

"It's the best lead we've got." Konan frowned and continued to look around, but they were interrupted by the approach of a stranger.

"You guys got word as well?" The duo turned to look at the boy who had approached them. He had short blonde hair and bright blue eyes, and despite his warmth, neither Akatsuki member had seen him before. "To think that Orochi actually managed to catch a merman!" The boy laughed and held out his hand, a common human gesture of politeness. "My name is Naruto, by the way."

Konan smiled with equal warmth and took the offered hand, although Deidara was clearly cold towards the blonde. "I'm Konan, and this here is Deidara." Her eyes turned back to the tank, but she kept the frown from forming once again. "This place just seems so ill fitting for such a high-class auction. Besides, if you caught a merman, wouldn't you want to keep it for yourself?"

"He's probably more interested in the money than in the actual merman." Naruto shrugged and led them to a group of empty seats, all with numbered paddles on. "I'm just hoping that the merman is in good condition."

"He will be." Deidara barked the comment a bit too urgently, before he could cut himself off. It must have been hard for him to believe otherwise.

Naruto hesitated for a moment, before he quickly spoke up. "Do you guys know how to auction?"

Konan nodded, but Deidara just shrugged his shoulders aloofly, glaring at nothing in particular.

People began to move for the chairs, and once the seats were all taken, the head of the auction stepped forward. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I am Orochimaru." A man with long black hair stood before the tank. His clothes were neat, his skin was pale, and he sent shivers up Deidara's spine. "I thank you all for coming this late at night, but I assure you that it will be worth it. You see, what I have to offer is something seldom seen by mortal eyes. What I have to offer you, fair ladies and gentlemen, is a creature of myth."

A slow murmur ran through the crowd, and Deidara bit his lip, anxious to find out about the red head's safety. What if the supposed 'myth' that this man had found wasn't Sasori?

"Now now, don't be alarmed, all of you who are expecting to see a beast of hell," Orochimaru chuckled briefly, "I assure you that this creature is particularly pleasing to the eye. For it is not a demon that I show tonight, nor is it a banshee; no, the creature of myth that I offer to you…" A stumbling figure was pushed onto the stage, with two tough men at its side, "Is a merman."

And there stood Sasori, barely able to stand, wearing nothing but a red coat and a blindfold. Two men struggled to keep him standing, and Deidara couldn't even tell if his lover was conscious.

The blonde made a move to stand, to go to his love, but he was stopped by both Konan and Naruto. "He's okay." The bluenette took a tight hold of his wrist, "He's not hurt; they probably just gave him a sedative to make their job easier."

Deidara shivered, but he didn’t try to stand. Konan was right; Sasori was okay. The blonde couldn't see a single scratch on the red head's body, and it was made clear that Sasori was conscious when the red head tried to take a step forward.

-o-

Sasori couldn't see anything through the blindfold, and his head felt like a whirlpool. His limbs were heavy and his brain felt like mush, but he knew what was happening to him. He was being sold like common livestock. He could hear the people in the room, but he couldn't how many there were. However, he knew for certain that there were at least three. The two men at his sides, who kept him from falling…

And Orochimaru.

"Now I know what you're thinking!" The snake's voice sounded like nails down a chalkboard, "But I assure you that this is no ordinary man." Sasori felt a cold hand grip his chin, and a wave of nausea swept through him at the mere touch. "You see, my friend here truly is a merman. He is fearsome, untamed, and his beauty is beyond words~" The hand ran over his cheek, and the red head shuddered at the sensation. "We had to give him some heavy sedatives just to keep him in line, but I am sure that many of you would accept the challenge of taming this mystical creature."

"How do we know he is really a merman?" Despite the haze, Sasori realised that he knew the speaker's voice. It was a voice from a lifetime ago.

Of course Naruto would be in the audience! He had always claimed that he had once seen a merman with his own two eyes.

"Well, boy, I am prepared to give you all a demonstration." Orochimaru tapped something, and Sasori could only register the sound of glass. "The instructions are very simple for this creature, you see. You just need to add water~"

Sasori felt himself get pushed forward by the two cronies, and he felt himself being lifted. One moment passed, and the two men vanished from his world of darkness.

They were replaced by the cold hands of ice water.

He sunk to the bottom of the tank, and he could hear no more. Sasori could barely move his tail as he hit the bottom; the single limb was far heavier than his two legs had been.

As he tried to sit up, all he could think about was Deidara, and how he wished he could tell the blonde just where he was. Deidara would never know that Sasori had been taken. He would probably spend the rest of his life wondering what he had done to make the red head leave, and that was what broke Sasori.

He couldn't speak in his sedated state; all he could do was mouth the name of the one he loved.

-o-

The blonde watched, horrified, as Sasori sunk to the bottom of the tank, but he almost cried out when he saw the red head mouth his name. Even when he could barely move, Sasori was still thinking about Deidara. Seeing the red head so helpless was unbearable, and he struggled to keep his composure.

Konan's grip on his wrist tightened, reassuringly, and it was just enough to keep him quiet.

The damn snake continued talking with a sickening smile. "So you see, ladies and gentlemen, I offer to you…a merman." The room exploded in a series of murmurs and whispers, all in awe. "Now, shall we start the bidding at…10,000?"

Several paddles flew into the air. The auction began.