[A/N: *Checks time since last update* Well, that's not as bad as some lapses I've had...this story is nearing its conclusion, I think.]

7.

The link went through and Deidara was sure Ino must have felt the connection as well, but there was nothing but stony silence from her end.

Ino? He tried, wondering why he was trying to talk to the girl who had got him into this mess in the first place. Are you still mad, un?

Leave me alone, you liar! Ino thought back: Deidara could feel the heat of her anger through the connection. How dare you try and talk to me?

Deidara had been sure she would react something like that, but it still hurt to hear it from her. Well, the same to you then! he replied, making sure she could feel his anger as well. Look at you, playing the damsel in distress so you could get me thrown in your stinking Konoha prison!

It's not stinking, they put in new air fresheners every week, Ino responded randomly.

Deidara almost laughed before remembering that he was very, very angry with her. Anyway, I don't see why I'm the bad guy here when I was only trying to help you—or did you even need help at all?

When I asked for help I didn't realize I was inviting the Akatsuki into my village! How long were you waiting to pounce on me? Ino snapped back at him.

What? You were the one who started all this, little miss 'I fell off a roof and accidentally mind-linked with someone thousands of miles away.' Seriously, how stupid did you think I was? Deidara realized just as he finished this statement that, however stupid Ino had thought he was, he really was that stupid considering how long he had believed her.

I did not start it!

You did so!

Did not!

Did so!

SHUT UP! Ino snarled and Deidara winced as he felt the raw fury she felt at him. I don't have to take any more of this, she continued in an icily calm tone that was almost worse that the fury. My dad's going to fix you, you wait and see.

Your dad? Deidara thought weakly, hoping this didn't mean what he had a feeling it did.

He's the head interrogator in Konoha, Ino informed him with false cheer. Have fun!

The connection vanished before Deidara could even try to think of a reply.

He was dead—He was worse than dead. Ino's mental powers were already intense—her father would be able to rip his mind apart, and Ino would no doubt encourage him to do his worst. He would be a vegetable by the time Konoha got around to executing him!

"I have to get out of here, un," Deidara muttered, but a few useless tugs against his chains and equally useless attempts to remove the seals on his chakra revealed that escape was just as impossible as it had been half an hour ago.

There was nothing to do but wait.

Sighing, Deidara pulled his knees up to his chest and tried to tell himself he wasn't afraid of what was going to happen. Hadn't he always planned on dying young, after all?

Still, he had come to realize that there was a very big difference between a glorious, ephemeral explosion into nothingness with no regrets (which was the way he had always planned to go out), and finally thinking he had something to live for only to be trapped and dragged to his death in an attempt to save that something. Not to mention the mental torture he was going to face beforehand.

Of course, he could just spill everything to the interrogators before they decided to go that far, but all he had left now was pride and tenacity, so even if he wanted to he wouldn't let himself do that. And either way it would all end with his execution.

Needless to say, by the time a Konoha jounin appeared in front of his cell—a small woman with sharp brown eyes and a spiky ponytail of purple hair—Deidara was feeling quite depressed. He rallied slightly when he realized that to drag him to the interrogation room, she would have to first release him from his restraints.

He sat docilely against the wall until the second cuff was unlocked, then swung into action, trying to kick the kunoichi's feet out from under her before bolting for the door.

As Deidara's plans tended to go it was no worse than most, but he failed to account for the fact that after sitting in chains for so long he would be unable to move quickly enough to actually get out of the cell before the Konoha kunoichi regained her footing.

"Nice try, kid," she declared cheerfully, giving his hair a sharp yank as she sat on his back, "but we've got tons of fun questions to ask so it would be rude of you to leave early!"

Deidara tried to think of a smart remark in return but came up with nothing. His last chance was gone, he realized sickly as she pulled him to his feet, dragging him out of the cell towards a windowless metal door at the end of the prison corridor.