Chapter 59 - Chapter 58 – A Dragon's Wrath II

Come not between the dragon and his wrath"

"

King Lear

## Previously ##

"You took my father from me" Shino said, dropping to his knees. "But with you, I will rescue Fuu" Shino replied, his eyes burning with fire and the bugs seemed to feel his power and determination.

The swarm slowed down and began slowly flying around him. The bugs started landed softly on him and started slithering their away into his skin. Shino dropped his black googles to the ground and slowly stood up. His skin was now a deep purple and his eyes shining a bright silver.

"Let's go hunting"

## Now ##

"S-shino-kun" his mother gasped when she took his appearance. He had dropped the grey hooded cloak and his traditional black googles. He skin no longer had the traditional pinkish color but it was now a dark purple and his eyes, a shining silver. "What have you done?" She asked in complete disbelief.

"Everything is alright mother" Shino replied, easing his mother's worries.

"B-But" His mother protested until she accepted it. A small smile made its way to her face when she realized that Shino had endangered his life by taking bugs that rejected so many of her clan before, and all for Fuu.

"You go get that girl" Shino's mom ordered and he nodded with conviction.

"You ready to go?" Shino asked and Gaara nodded, pushing himself up. His chakra stores had been replenished and he felt like new. Gaara summoned two chunks of sand and both he and Shino shot into the sky, chasing after the fleeing Akatsuki members. May Kami have mercy on their souls, for Gaara and Shino would not.

## With Tsunade ##

"You were always a fool Senju" Danzo said, approaching Tsunade's still form and bending down, flicking the blood on her lips "Such a waste" Danzo sighed as started raising again, never noticing several markings stretching from her forehead diamond figure, and spreading around her body like a net.

"Indeed" Danzo's eyes widened and a small shiver ran up his spine at the coldness the voice carried. Danzo swiftly turned around only to see Tsunade standing and her arm stretched forward. His eyes widened when he felt the amount of chakra she was pouring in her fist. Her fist was almost glowing, visible to the naked eye.

*SMASH*

Danzo took the punch directly into his gut. He was lifted off the ground and split into two at the powerful uppercut and cleanly split into two.

BOOOOMMM

Tsunade didn't realize just how powerful she was and took the rooftop of the Hokage tower along with Danzo. The rooftop exploded, sending debris all over the surrounding areas, some crashing into nearby buildings.

"Damn" Tsunade said, clearly shocked by the outcome. She looked around and spotted the two halves of Danzo in a pool of his blood. "That was easier than I expected" Tsunade chuckled to herself as she walked towards Shizune who was looking around in oblivion, confusion plastered in her face.

"T-Tsunade-sama?" Shizune asked, blinking her eyes quickly. "What happened?" The last thing she remembered was bringing Tsunade her afternoon tea.

"Danzo was messing with your head" Tsunade explained but Shizune remained oblivious. Whatever illusion Danzo used had to have been powerful, to leave no memory of it behind.

"TSUNADE-SAMA" Tsunade recoiled at Shizune's piercing screech. "ARE YOU ALRIGHT?" Shizune panicked, noticing the smeared blood all over her chin.

"Yeah yeah" Tsunade waved her off much to her chagrin. "The bastard over there" Tsunade pointed her finger towards the bisected Danzo "He thought he could take me out with poison" she laughed. "Poison! Can you think of anything more ridiculous? Me?" Tsunade pointed at herself. "Taken out by poison…as if" Tsunade gloated while Shizune just shook her head at her sensei's antics.

"TSUNADE-SAMA" Shizune shouted and Tsunade looked alarmed at where Shizune was pointing. Tsunade barely had time to as three kunais flew by, grazing her neck and drawing a small line of blood that quickly healed. Tsunade looked in bewilderment as Danzo stood up looking at her with a cold face.

Tsunade's head whirled around to where Danzo's body was supposed to be and found nothing, not even the pool of blood. "That's not possible" Tsunade said and frowned when Danzo said nothing. "So the outcome…comes to this" Tsunade said and Danzo simply nodded.

"It was inevitable" Danzo simply replied in a flat tone. "I should have known that even this particular poison wouldn't be quick enough to kill you" Danzo sighed in resignation.

"I do commend you on it. It worked remarkably fast. Where did you get it Danzo old chap?" Tsunade asked with curiosity, cracking her knuckles in anticipation.

"It's amazing what alliances can do is it not?" Danzo rhetorically asked.

"So the poison came from Kiri" Tsunade inferred but Danzo said nothing. "They always had the most exotic poisons".

"Indeed" Danzo replied just before his hands blurred together. "Fuuton - Shinkugyoku (Vacuum Bullets)" Danzo took a deep breath and quickly exhaled several blasts of wind chakra. Tsunade immediately ducked and dodged to the side, watching as the wind bullets dug themselves in what remained of the walls.

Tsunade ran forward, side stepping another wind bullet and closing the distance between herself and Danzo. Danzo jumped backwards as Tsunade's fist crashed in the ground, making the earth rumble around them. "Dokugiri (Poison Mist)" Shizune exhaled a large cloud of purple mist, heading straight towards the now immobile Danzo.

"Fuuton - Daitoppa (Great Breakthrough)" Danzo countered with a strong gust of wind, sending the poison mist right back to Tsunade and Shizune. Tsunade rose a single leg and smashed it on the stone floor, making a heavy rock jump into the air. With a fierce punch, she destroyed the boulder in front of her, hurling chunks of it against Danzo.

Danzo was caught completely unprepared for said attack. He was still airborne and the rocks were concealed by the poison cloud. The debris hit him head on, piercing his arms, legs and chest. Danzo dropped to the ground completely limp, killed almost instantly. Once the poison mist had cleared, Tsunade approached the fallen man and crushed his head with a single leg.

"Stay dead old mummy" Tsunade snarled. However, her eyes widened in disbelief when Danzo seemed to shimmer out of existence right in front of her.

"TSUNADE-SAMA" Shizune shouted and Tsunade's head whirled around, only to come face to face with Danzo. Danzo took a single kunai and before Tsunade could react, Danzo had pierced Tsunade's gut with it, letting blood pool to the ground.

Tsunade gritted her teeth and tried her best to ignore the stabbing pain. She grabbed Danzo's outreached fist so that he couldn't get away, and with her other hand she punched Danzo so hard in the face that his head was cleaved completely off, making the rest of his body fall limply to the ground.

Tsunade groaned as she plucked the kunai from her stomach and sighed in relief as the wound closed almost instantly. She looked back to where Danzo was only to find his body missing once more. "This is getting annoying" Tsunade thought to herself, gritting her teeth as she looked around, trying to find where Danzo would pop out this time.

Tsunade however was completely taken by surprise when Danzo materialized himself right in front of her. She tilted her body to the side allowing Danzo's kunai to pass by unharmed. Tsunade crouched and kicked Danzo in the sternum, sending flying and crashing into the nearby rubble.

Tsunade waited patiently as Danzo dug himself out of the rubble and got up, dusting off his clothes. Tsunade's eyes trailed off to Danzo's face and she saw for the first that the bandages were ripped off, displaying a single three-tomoed sharingan glowing in Danzo's right eye socket.

"A sharingan" Tsunade said, her eyes wide in surprise but quickly narrowed in both disgust and anger. "Who did you steal that eye from, you old mummy?" Tsunade roared.

Danzo however said nothing as simply discarded the bandages surrounding his head and dropped his right sleeve, showing a multitude of more sharingans, all implanted in his right arm that seemed to have a lighter coloration than the rest of his skin.

"What have you done?" Tsunade asked in complete disbelief. She shivered internally when she saw all those sharingans move around in their sockets, all of them staring intently at her. "ANSWER ME" She commanded.

"I've secured the future of this village by getting rid of the Uchihas and these" Danzo said, raising his right arm to show his eyes. "Well…these are just some perks of a job well done" Danzo chuckled.

"Doesn't he know that the Uchihas faked their death by replacing their bodies with the Zetsu clones?"Tsunade wondered in thought.

Tsunade however just shook her head in disbelief and stared intently at his arm. After all, being a top of the line medic like she was, she couldn't help but to look intrigued by the arm. Did those eyes actually saw and fed information to the brain or were they just there for show. Tsunade looked carefully at his arm, her eyes missing nothing.

"Ten eyes" Tsunade thought in disgust until she noticed that three of them were closed. Her eyes narrowed when she made the connection, she had killed him three times and he had three closed eyes, too big of a coincidence to simply ignore.

"It can't be. Those eyes are Zetsu clones of the originals. They shouldn't be functional to that level" Tsunade narrowed her eyes as she ducked under a kick and jumped backwards to gain some distance.

As Tsunade landed on the ground, a few feet from Danzo she got light headed. She shook her head as her vision was starting to blur around the edges. "W-what?" Tsunade thought in confusion as she steadied herself on the wall and took a long and deep breath.

"TSUNADE-SAMA" Shizune yelled, seeing her teacher leaning on the wall. She rushed towards her to immediately start a diagnostic jutsu. She didn't get far as Danzo intercepted her and delivered a solid blow to her stomach, following with a kick to her head. Shizune crashed against the wall and crumbled to the ground unconscious.

"About time" Danzo said, making Tsunade raise her head slightly from the wall to look at him in confusion and anger. "Do you think I would came here unprepared?" Danzo asked, raising a single eyebrow. "No my lady. Everything was prepared from the very beginning" Danzo began.

"Shizune administered you two poisons, thinking she was simply adding sugar to your tea" Danzo chuckled and Tsunade slid to the ground, leaning her back on the wall. "The first poison did its job, forcing you to use your Byakugo no Jutsu (Strength of Hundred Technique). By using that ability, you fastened your metabolism, allowing the second, much slower acting poison to quickly become effective"

"But here is the trick!" Danzo paused before continuing. "The second poison will not kill you or cripple you permanently. It acts on the chakra network, not stopping its flow or anything but simply disrupting it. This is why you are light headed. This poison isn't actually harming anything in your body and that is why your precious technique cannot do anything about it" Danzo finished but Tsunade couldn't even reply, it was like she was staring at empty walls.

"This is the end for you, Hokage-sama" Danzo spat, channeling wind chakra through a kunai and raising it into the air. Chopping her head would most likely be the only way to kill her, after all, her healing technique was still going strong.

"RAIKIRI"

Danzo groaned, jumping backwards to avoid the lightning jutsu from Kakashi.

"Step away from Lady Tsunade" Kakashi warned, putting himself between Danzo and Tsunade. Kakashi turned his head slightly, only to catch glimpse of Tsunade collapsed against the wall, in some sort of trance. Physically he could tell that she was unharmed. Shizune however was knocked out, lying on the ground near a pile of rocks.

Kakashi turned his head backwards to one of the elders of the village, one of the advisers of the Hokage herself. "Danzo! This is how far you have fallen?" Kakashi asked, his voice taking a dangerous tone. His sharingan instantly flared to life. He would take no chances against someone as seasoned as Danzo. In his prime he had been almost as strong as the third Hokage himself.

"This doesn't look good" Kakashi thought grimly. Danzo was a top-tier shinobi like him but Kakashi had always been limited by his chakra levels. Taking into account he had just made two shadow clones to carry Yugao and Hayate to the hospital, things weren't looking too easy. "Where is Minato-sensei and the rest of the bat clan when we need them" Kakashi groaned and bent his knees when he saw Danzo dashing forward.

"I bet they could solo Danzo in under a second" Kakashi whined in thought, parrying a strike before lashing out a kick. Danzo jumped backwards to gain some distance and took a deep breath.

"Fuuton - Daitoppa (Great Breakthrough)" Kakashi channeled chakra to his feet, grounding himself against the powerful gust of air.

The moment Kakashi felt the gust of air slowing down he moved into action. His right sparkled with lightning chakra as he burst forward, leaving a trail of dust behind. Danzo scoffed at being underestimated like that. His sharingan caught Kakashi's movements and he simply side stepped Kakashi's attack.

Danzo caught Kakashi's arm and flipped him above himself, smashing Kakashi into the ground. Kakashi groaned as he hit the ground hard and his raikiri dispelled from the impact. Danzo swiftly took a kunai and impaled Kakashi before he could even blink. However, to Danzo's surprise, Kakashi merely puffed in smoke to reveal a simple piece of rubble.

"Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu (Great Fireball technique)" Danzo rolled to the side, avoiding the deadly fireball that flew just over himself. Before he could regain his bearings Kakashi was already upon him, lashing out fast and brutal strikes.

Kakashi threw a fast punch straight at Danzo who merely parried his strike to the side. Kakashi's extended arm grabbed Danzo's head by the scruff of his hair and pulled him down, smashing his face right into one of Kakashi's knees. Danzo stumbled backwards, bringing his hands to stem the blood flow from his nose.

Kakashi didn't relent and simply swung around, mashing his heel into Danzo's face and sending the old man crashing into a nearby wall. A split second later Kakashi's hands were already blurring through hand seals. "Katon: Ryuka no Jutsu (Fire Dragon Technique)" A powerful dragon-shaped stream of fire erupted from Kakashi's mouth and engulfed Danzo.

Kakashi took no chances and kept his attack up for nearly a minute. He felt his own breath getting short and stopped his jutsu. When his fire attack dwindled down and the smoke cleared, there was nothing but scorched rock. Kakashi rose an eyebrow at the lack of remains but didn't think much of it.

Kakashi turned around and started walking back to towards Tsunade to help her. "Rookie mistake Kakashi" Kakashi's head snapped to the left only to on the receiving end and a point blank round house kick.

Kakashi groaned and spiraled through the air, crashing into the ground, hard. He shook his head, pushing the dizziness away and rose to his feet just in time to avoid a wind bullet. His eyes nearly popped open when he saw the wind bullet dig itself in the rock a good ten inches. His sharingan caught movement and he forced his body to the side, barely avoiding another bullet.

Kakashi replied with a few shurikens, stopping Danzo's wind jutsu. "KAI" Danzo muttered beneath his breath, breaking a small genjutsu that Kakashi tried to cast on him. Apparently it had the desired effect and Danzo had lost track of Kakashi.

"Doton: Shinju Zanshu no Jutsu (Double Suicide Decapitation Technique)" A single hand from Kakashi popped from the ground, right beneath Danzo. But Danzo wasn't a kage level shinobi for nothing and simply jumped backwards.

"KAMUI" Danzo suddenly felt an inhuman amount of pressure near his chest. He couldn't even breathe properly. He saw the space around him swirling and it reminded him too much of Naruto's own technique. He didn't get to think much as a hole suddenly appeared in the middle of his chest, where his heart should be.

Danzo collapsed to the ground dead and Kakashi appeared from the ground again, breathing deeply. He had used a lot of chakra. If the battle had prolonged he would have lost. His sharingan could see that Danzo still had a lot of chakra to spare. "Same mistake" Kakashi's blood ran cold when he heard Danzo's voice in the back on his head, to close to comfort.

Kakashi barely had time to replace himself with a piece of rubble, but no before taking a deep gash to his thigh. Kakashi appeared in the ground next to Tsunade and crumbled to the floor, cradling his leg. The gash had been mostly over the muscle and while not fatal, it would be painful and hinder his abilities that relied so much in speed and mobility.

He had lost this battle. There was no other way to put it and now he need to find a way to escape. "Fuuton - Shinkuuha (Air Blade)" Danzo released a wind blade from his mouth, making Kakashi narrow his eyes.

"Doton - Doryuuheki (Earth Wall)" Kakashi rolled over, placing both hands on the ground and raising an earth wall. He had calculated the trajectory of the wind blade and if he dodged, it would go straight towards Tsunade who was immobile at the moment.

The wind blade crashed into the rock and nearly cleaved it in half. Kakashi felt Danzo preparing another attack and this one would destroys his rock wall. "Raiton Kage Bunshin (Lightning Shadow Clone)" Kakashi thought, leaving one clone behind and hoisting Tsunade and Shizune onto his shoulders. He gritted his teeth at the added weight from both women but kept going.

As the coverage of the rock wall came crashing down, the original Kakashi fled the scene with both Tsunade and Shizune on tow. Danzo saw nothing of Kakashi's little scheme and immediately engaged against his clone. The clone, knowing that the original was already far away, took a blow and discharged itself on Danzo, electrocuting the man.

Danzo gritted his teeth but bit back the pain as the clone disappeared. He quickly regained his focus and looked around to find nothing. Kakashi had ran away with Tsunade and Shizune. Danzo cursed his luck, his plan came crashing down so quickly. It was such a simple plan and he didn't understand how it could have gone so badly.

With Hiashi's help he had already replaced the ANBU commander and another few ANBU in key locations with his own men. The louder part of his plan was attacking the village in broad daylight. Usually he kept to the shadows but it needed to be done. He needed to kill both Tsunade and the current clan heads of the major clans.

The old clan heads were too engrained in their own ways, too loyal to Tsunade and Hiruzen. The kids however, they were still fresh, still young, still naïve. They could be molded under Danzo's watchful eyes, allowed to flourish under his command. Naruto and Hinata would be a problem but the Akatsuki should deal with them.

The only unknown variable were the dragons. Danzo had no idea where Tsunade had unearthed such talent, such raw power. A single member was capable of taking S-rank missions alone and, as a group, they were nearly invincible. "I shall deal with them when the time comes" Danzo thought to himself, giving chase to Kakashi.

With the Hokage dead, ANBU command follows to the ANBU commander and the shinobi council. With Tsunade dead and most of the clan heads as well, Danzo would have full command over Konoha's anbu forces. Adding to those his own root shinobi and this coupe d'état would be successful. "Finally" Danzo muttered, catching a glimpse of Kakashi. He had a job to finish.

Kakashi cursed his luck when he felt Danzo rapidly approaching. He needed some type of distraction and one that didn't cost chakra, something he was running low on. Kakashi was hoping from rooftop to rooftop, the streets were desert. The civilians have already been evacuated.

The huge explosion over the Senju compound had initiated the village's war protocol. The problem was that the ANBU was not responding properly to the threats and with the Hokage down. Kakashi shook his head, he couldn't cloud his mind with such problems. He had enough troubles as it was.

He had to find a way to heal Tsunade but for that he needed to wake Shizune but he couldn't do that either with Danzo on toll. His first thought of seeking aid in the Senju compound with Gaara but if that explosion was anything to go by then they were very busy. The ANBU at this point could not be trusted.

"Yes!" Kakashi nearly shouted as he jumped down into an alley. He felt Danzo getting closer and closer. He knew exactly who to request aid to and now he only need a small distraction to get there. Kakashi's hand went straight to his pouch and he took a simple and normal kunai. "A now for a small genjutsu" Kakashi thought happily. He would summon the man that even someone like Danzo feared above all others.

"I got you now" Danzo said as Kakashi was a mere feet away. Kakashi however quickly turned around and threw a kunai at him. Danzo chuckled at the obvious attempt to stop him and simply allowed the kunai to whistle by his shoulders harmlessly.

His eyes widened as the kunai passed by his face and he saw exactly what type of kunai it was. It wasn't s simply kunai with a blade and no hilt. No! It was a three pronged kunai with kanji written on the handle. "Impossible!" Danzo thought in panic when he kunai was replaced with a bright flash of yellow.

Danzo squinted his eyes at the brightness of the flash. His eyes caught movement and he immediately placed both arms in a cross shape, blocking a powerful kick. "Urgh" Danzo groaned as he was sent flying downwards into the ground but managed to flip midair and regain his footing.

Danzo looked up and his blood ran cold. Senju Naruto was crouching on top of the building in front of him. His long blonde air swaying in the wind and the blood red eyes to match. Danzo involuntarily took a step back and gulped at the face of the enemy he knew he couldn't defeat.

He suddenly sat on the building and supported his head with a simple hand. "What have you been up to? Danzo!" Naruto asked with a bored look. Danzo however simply shivered at the coldness of his voice. Danzo had to plan this very thoroughly if he wanted to escape with his life. Not even the Izanagi would save him from someone like Naruto.

"I knew this would happen eventually" Naruto started, breaking Danzo from his thoughts. "The war took its toll on you. You see enemies everywhere when there are none"

"You were supposed to be busy in Kumo" Danzo pointed out.

"Got bored" Naruto waved him off. "Dealt with the exams and had nothing to do until Kakashi called. And imagine my surprise to find him carrying my unconscious grandmother" Naruto stated, narrowing his eyes at Danzo.

"I guess that not even Nagato was a match for you" Danzo muttered, gritting his teeth.

"No jounin hopeful can stand up to me, Danzo. I thought you knew that?" Naruto rhetorically asked. Danzo however took a step back at the answer and narrowed his eyes at Naruto. His sharingan started spinning as he looked at his opponent for the first time. And he found something completely strange. His chakra levels were barely above those of a gennin.

A stray thought came to Danzo and he hustled a kunai at Naruto. "I guess the fun is over" Naruto grinned as he exploded in smoke, reveling a grinning Kakashi. "Better luck next time Danzo-chan" Kakashi did his trademark wave as he was hit with the kunai and burst into smoke.

Danzo cursed his luck for being deceived by a simple transformation. He immediately looked around, hoping to catch a small trail leading to Kakashi. *Sniff Sniff* "There he is" Danzo thought happily and resumed the chase. That Jounin would pay dearly for his games.

## With Kakashi ##

Kakashi couldn't help but laugh at the face Danzo made when he realized he had been deceived. The man got so red with anger that he thought he might burst at any time. He even put his sharingan to shame. Kakashi had arrived where he wanted and he released a sigh of relief when he saw the compound was undamaged.

## Hyuuga Clan Compound - At the same time ##

"So…weak. So…pathetic" Hiashi sneered, his lips curling in disgust as he looked down at the unconscious form of Hana, his ex-wife and current Hyuuga clan leader. Hiashi looked around to see battles going around. He still had some loyal members of the previous main house. "This clan has been reduced to nothingness. We used to be the strongest in Konoha and now look at us" Hiashi shook his head in shame.

"But no matter. Everything can and will be fixed" Hiashi said with conviction, pulling his arm back to deliver the final blow.

Hiashi thrust his arm forward but before it could hit Hana it was blocked. Before Hiashi could react to this his byakugan caught sight of a leg heading his away. Hiashi jumped backwards, avoiding the kick and landed a few feet from Hana.

He rose his head and finally saw the face of the one who blocked his final attack. Hyuuga Neji was glaring at him and standing in front of Hana in a protective manner. His byakugan was already active and his clothes and skin showed signs of battle. Looks like Neji had fought his way inside.

"I can't allow you to harm Hana-sama uncle" Neji said seriously, taking the standard juuken position.

"Neji…my greatest failure" Hiashi greeted his nephew. "You hated the main family, and yet here you stand in front of them, protecting them"

"I didn't hate the main family. I hated you and a select few others" Neji corrected. "Uncle or not I will not allow you to harm Hana-sama" Neji replied.

"You think you can take me on" Hiashi chuckled lightly before gaining a serious face. "Very well. Come Neji" Hiashi said, beckoning Neji to come and the battle was on.

Neji rushed forward to meet his match. His long black hair flowing with the wind as he ran towards Hiashi. Uncle and nephew clashed fists, streams of blue chakra swirled around them. Each clash coming with a resounding bang. All around them the fighting stopped to see both Hiashi and Neji battle each other.

While Hiashi had far more experience in battle, Neji compensated that by being stronger and faster. The onlookers were shocked with Neji's performance. They always knew that he was a prodigy but to be on par with the former clan head was nothing short of amazing.

Even though Hiashi had experience he was having trouble hitting his Neji because of his speed. Mere seconds after the battle had begun Hiashi saw an opening as he blocked a strong punch. Neji overcommitted on the punch, putting him slight off balance but only a taijutsu master like Hiashi would be able to capitalize on that.

Hiashi pushed his punch backwards, forcing Neji to stumble ever so slightly. Two blue glowing fingers shot forward, blurring towards Neji's open shoulder to close his tenketsu. Time seemed to slow down as Neji saw the incoming strike and simply smirked. He instantly regained balance and crouched ever so slightly.

Hiashi's strike passed safely over his shoulder and Neji took his opportunity. His arms blurred together as he delivered a flurry of juuken strikes to Hiashi's outstretched arm. Hiashi squirmed in pain, feeling his tenketsu being forcibly closed on his arm. He retaliated with a kick to his sternum, forcing Neji to jump backwards.

"He fainted an over commitment knowing that I would take advantage of it. He's grown well" Hiashi chuckled in thought, opening the tenketsu on his arm. "I'll have to be careful"

"Hakke Kuushou (Air Palm)" Hiashi yelled, thrusting his arm forward. Neji countered with the same jutsu. The two air techniques collided in the air with great impact. A dust cloud swirled around both users, forcing them back.

The fighting in the compound had stopped and everyone simply stared as the two juuken masters ducked it out. They narrowed their eyes, peering into the cloud of dust to watch the battle.

Both taijutsu users blurred at each other and their fists met once more in a flurry of precise strikes. When one attacked, the other blocked. When one backed up, the other would push forward. Neither allowing the opponent to gain the slightest of advantages. In a close match like this, every strike counted.

Neji took a step backward and noticed Hiashi overextending slightly to catch up. "KAITEN" Neji yelled as he spun. His body being engulfed in a dome of spiraling blue chakra. Hiashi collided with the dome and was blasted backwards. He spun midair and landed gracefully on the ground.

"Doton – Doryu Taiga (Great Mud River)" Hiashi said, placing a hand on the ground and started liquefying the earth. The ground beneath him started becoming mud and Neji who was still spinning, started to sink into the ground. He stopped spinning and struggled to jump out of the ground.

"Hakke Kuushou (Air Palm)" Hiashi unleashed a devastating air palm that hit Neji dead on. Once the smoke cleared Neji was on the ground with his clothes ripped. He was kneeling and taking deep breaths.

"You have yet to achieve enough skill to stand against me" Hiashi said in a superior tone. "Nonetheless. You are more skilled than that trash" Hiashi said, nodding towards Hana.

"Neji-nii-san" Hanabi thought sadly and got up to her feet. She would do something to help the clan with her own hands.

"Hakke Sanjuni Sho (Thirty-Two Palms)" Hiashi turned around to see Hanabi standing in front of him in the standard juuken position.

"Two palms" Hiashi's eyes widened when Hanabi's fingers blurred to the middle of his chest and closed two tenketsu.

"Four palms" Four more strikes making Hiashi cough and snarl at his daughter's defiance.

"Eight Pa-"

"AGHHH" Hiashi backhanded Hanabi, stopping her jutsu and throwing her to the ground hard. Hanabi smashed into the ground, coughing a mouthful of blood.

"I'll deal with you later" Hiashi said, coughing again and cleaning the blood from his lips.

"And no-" Hiashi stopped midsentence when he turned around only to find Neji standing in front of him.

"Hakke Hasangeki (Mountain Crusher)" Neji pushed his right hand forward, releasing a powerful wave of chakra that smashed directly against Hiashi at point blank range.

Hiashi was lifted off the ground and sent flying. His body resounded through the air until he crashed into the walls with a deafening bang. Hiashi's mouth was opened in shock as he simply slid down to the ground, unconscious.

Neji coughed and kneeled to regain his breathing. Hanabi was quickly by his side, supporting him the best she could. "Are you alright Neji-nii-san?" She asked, concerned with her cousin.

"Yes. I'm just tired" Neji replied, ruffling her hair. "I need to thank you Hanabi-chan. If it wasn't for you I would have lost" Neji said and Hanabi laughed happily.

The few Hyuuga loyal Hiashi, seeing their leader defeated once more simply dropped to their knees and surrendered. It was no use fighting anymore.

## With Gaara & Shino ##

"They stopped moving" Shino said as both he and Gaara were flying after both Akatsuki members. Both Konoha shinobi had been previously silent during the whole travel, their minds focused on the single goal at hand. The rescue of Fuu. Both men loved her in their own, Gaara as family and Shino as something more than that.

"It would seem they are waiting for me as well" Gaara said, clenching his fists and making his sand blur together. "What exactly did you achieve with those insects?" Gaara asked curious. He had never seen any other Aburame with the same ability.

"Rinkaichu are my clan's deadliest and more dangerous weapons" Shino began. "While they are highly valuable in combat they are also very temperamental. I only need to touch their skin once and it's over. Once the enemy is infected my bugs will automatically start destroying their cells, causing excruciating pain in the process"

"Even most shinobi can't function properly with the amount of pain involved. Eventually the bugs will attack your inner organs causing your body to fail and die. Due to their size there is nothing you can do to remove them short of cutting out the piece it got infected, and it must be done quickly before it spreads" Shino finished.

"So you only need to touch them once?" Gaara asked and Shino nodded in reply. "It will work on Deidara but Sasori has a wood body" Gaara informed.

"I can use my others bugs to eat through that body as well. Just get me close enough" Shino said and Gaara nodded as they started lowering their altitude.

"About time" Sasori grumbled, seeing both Gaara and an unknown shinobi approach in the horizon. "You're up Deidara"

"Hai Master Sasori" Deidara grinned before throwing both arms into the air. "True art…is an EXPLOSION!" Deidara yelled just before the sky lit up ablaze.

"What an idiot" Sasori felt like face palming. "Wasting clay like that"

Deidara wasted no time in jumping into one of his clay birds and shooting into the sky. Sasori stayed at ground level, providing coverage to his annoying blonde teammate but also guarding Fuu's unconscious body. Sasori looked down to Fuu to see she was still out of it. "Good" Sasori thought, summoning a couple of puppets.

Back at the sky, Gaara was using his sand to shield Shino as he flew in a piece of sand as well. They were trying to close the distance between the bug user and Deidara, but his bird coupled with the explosions were making it difficult.

"Fuuton - Daitoppa (Great Breakthrough)" Gaara unleashed a powerful gust of wind, forcing Deidara to bank to the left to avoid it. As Deidara leveled up, Shino was there waiting for him. Shino leaped from his sand and landed rather harshly on one of Deidara's bird wings. The bird leaned to the side due to the added weight.

Shino crouched, channeling chakra to his hands and feet to stick to the bird while Deidara tried to regain balance. The moment the bird became stable again, Shino jumped forward towards Deidara who grinned and simply stepped of his bird.

"C2" Deidara said as he landed on a huge clay dragon that had been hovering beneath the bird. "KATSU" Deidara yelled gleefully as the clay bird exploded with Shino still standing on it.

Deidara flew around the area, waiting patiently for the smoke to dissipate. "Woah!" Deidara plummeting to the ground with a blanket of sand after him. "Master Sasori" Deidara screamed for help to his partner. The C2 dragon wasn't as mobile as his clay birdy.

Sasori equipped one of the scrolls behind his back and opened his mouth. From his mouth came a high powered stream of fire that crashed against the sand and started to push it backwards, allowing Deidara some free time. Deidara looked up to the previous explosion to see Shino was enveloped in a cocoon of sand.

"It's not use planting my mines against them" Deidara thought as he launched a couple more explosives only for them to explode against Gaara's sand shields. Deidara banked again to dodge a wave of bugs this time and shivered at the implications. "Why did the Ichibi bring an Aburame?" Deidara whined in thought.

"What are they doing?" Deidara wondered in his mind. Suddenly all air combat had halted. The dragon flapped his powerful wings to remain stationary as Deidara looked quizzically at both Konoha shinobi. "If you don't come I will" Deidara shouted and the dragon roared before plummeting downwards to gain speed.

"KATSU" Deidara yelled as bombs exploded right behind Gaara and Shino. "Eheheheh…this is beautiful art" Deidara laughed gleefully when he saw chunks of both shinobi drop to the ground. His blood ran cold when a stray thought hit him. "Did I kill the Ichibi jinchuuriki?" Deidara thought fearfully at what he would suffer at Pein's hands if that happened.

He was broken from his thought when he heard Sasori screaming for help. He looked backwards to see Sasori trying to fend both Gaara and Shino while protecting Fuu's body from being snatched. Both Shino and Gaara did make and rather good combination. Shino would go in recklessly while Gaara shielded him from any attack.

"Suna Shigure (Sand Rain)" It began to rain sand. Clots of sand fell from the sky everywhere, quickly covering the ground in sand. Deidara was forced to make a bird for his partner as the ground was no longer safe with it completely covered in sand. Arms of sand rose from the ground to try and snatch up either Akatsuki member but both were unsuccessful.

"This is going nowhere" Shino said as they gave chase to both airborne Akatsuki members.

"How are your fighting skills in the dark?" Gaara asked and Shino looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"I can manage" Shino replied.

"Good. Cover me!" Shino nodded in acknowledgment. Gaara placed his fingers in a very well-known t-shaped seal. "Kage bunshin no jutsu (Shadow Clone Jutsu)" Four clones popped up. "You know what to do" Gaara ordered and the four clones nodded before hoping in their own sand cloud and flying away.

Both Akatsuki members prepared themselves for possible attack when they saw the clones appear but became confused when they simply spread away. "What is the sand brat doing?" Sasori asked. He had never seen in yondaime kazekage do anything like this.

The four clones were forming a perfect square around both Akatsuki members and both Shino and Gaara. Suddenly, all four clones raised their hands into the sky in perfect synchronization. "Yami o ukeireru (Embrace the darkness)" All clones chanted together as the sand on the ground started grumbling. "Kao bokyaku (Face oblivion)"

"Kudo e no tabi (Journey into the Void)" Both Akatsuki members shivered when Shukaku's voice rang through the air, coming from the four clones and the original Gaara in perfect sync.

The sand beneath each clone started raising into the air, reaching high in the sky. Both Akatsuki members looked in awe at the amount of sand being manipulated. The sand continued to grow in size, easily towering over the flying dragon of Deidara and nearly touching the clouds. The colossal towers of sand in front of each clone started stretching towards one another.

"They are locking us in!" Sasori yelled and Deidara's eyes widened at the implications. The clay dragon roared and flapped his wings wildly as they flew at high speed to the top of the sky. It was already too late to try escape the dome, his size was simply overpowering so their only choice was at the top which was still closing.

Shino watched as both Akatsuki members flew off in a hurry. He looked towards Gaara to see that his eyes were different. The sclerae of his eyes was black, with yellow irises and pupils each taking the shape of a black four-pointed star with four black dots around it. Gaara seemed to be in some trance and unaware of Deidara and Sasori's movements.

"I guess that is why he asked for cover" Shino thought, extending both hands and letting bugs pour out of his sleeves. In the blink of an eye the bugs had crossed the distance and started disrupting the Akatsuki members.

"KATSU" Deidara yelled, blasting those insects back and killing a bunch of them. "Shit! It's closing fast" Deidara yelled and groaned when his dragon banked left, chunks of bugs clenching to his wings.

"It's too late" Sasori muttered beneath his breath as the last ray of sunshine was blocked off and the dome closed around all four shinobi, leaving them in pitch black darkness. On the outside of the dome, several kanji started spreading over the outer layer, forming a lock on the top of the dome.

"Fuin! (Seal)" Gaara roared as the seal on dome glowed briefly before disappearing from view. Gaara's eyes returned to normal and he kneeled on the sand cloud, gulping air and trying to regain his breathing.

"Gaara-san" Shino said but his voice seemed to escape him. "GAARA-SAN!" He yelled but the sound barely came over as a whisper. Even Shino had to focus on his hearing to hear his shout. "What is happening?" Shino thought, getting uncomfortable with the situation. He stiffened when he felt a hand land of his shoulder and felt a presence in his mind.

"Gaara-san?" Shino thought.

"I'm here" Gaara replied mentally.

"Are you okay?" Shino asked and Gaara nodded mentally in reply.

"Yes" Gaara answered. "This technique takes a good amount of chakra. If it wasn't for Shukaku I couldn't have managed it" Gaara explained.

"What's this?" Shino asked in amazement. His initial worries forgotten.

"One of my more powerful jutsus" Gaara began. "I like to simply call it The Void" Gaara said. Shino raised an eyebrow at the name but moved on. "Besides being pitch black in here with no sun light coming in, I built this room similar an anechoic room. The walls absorb all types of vibrations making as quieter as possible. All forms of sound are nearly nullified"

"And then it gets interesting. Being in an ambient with no light and sound. In sensory deprivation the mind begins playing tricks with you" Gaara chuckled, his laugh laced with the Ichibi's chakra, giving him a sinister edge to it. "The max I managed to stay in here was a few hours and that was without enemies inside"

"And the last ability is the sealing array on the outer shell that you can't see. To put it simply, we are all trapped here as long as I see fit. Should I ever fall in battle, the dome will start to shrink by itself, crushing anyone inside. The wall are reinforced with Shukaku's chakra and not even Deidara's bombs could bring this down. Their only way out is through space time ninjutsu and I seriously doubt they possess such skill"

"We are affected as well" Shino countered. "We are blind and deaf as well"

"You perhaps. I can feel those vibrations the walls absorb and I know exactly where both are" Gaara explained. "Ready?" Gaara asked and Shino nodded. Gaara dropped his hand from Shino's shoulders and Shino was again shrouded in darkness. Shino started releasing his bugs into the air and spreading them around so he could map the dome at least.

Darkness. Absolute, pitch black darkness. Deidara's head was swinging fearfully around him. He couldn't see anything. If it wasn't for feeling the dragon beneath his feet Deidara could swear he was asleep or even dead. "Master Sasori" Deidara yelled but heard nothing in return. "What happened to my voice?" Deidara gulped. He shifted his hair from in front of his eye to reveal a small camera. But even that caught nothing but darkness.

"Who's there?" Deidara asked, feeling a gust of wind running over his head. Deidara shook his head and tried to think of possible solutions to this. He remembered being trapped inside some sand dome with Sasori. How long have they been trapped in there?

Something clicked inside Deidara's head and he suddenly released a clay bird. He made sure to let it fly for a while before exploding. Then it came! The explosion in a distance. Lighting up the darkness momentarily. There was no sound coming from the blast, but the brief moment of clarity allowed Deidara some peace of mind.

He wasn't going crazy. He was simply trapped inside some sand trap. He even managed to catch a glimpse of Sasori and the small nod he gave him in acknowledgment. "Yoshhh! Let's bring this place down" Deidara yelled to no one before launching his arms into the air and started pouring small clay birds.

"Art is an explosion" Deidara bellowed gleefully as the dome lit up ablaze. Hundreds of explosions could be seen in the distance, smashing against the hardened sand. "Tsk" Deidara scoffed, seeing his bombs not even scratching the walls. And even if it did, the walls simply reformed instantly.

"You lose" Deidara shivered when a voice rang behind him. He immediately turned around, jumping backwards in the process. Even with continuous blasts providing some much needed light, he barely caught track of fist coming for him. And he did what anyone else would do. He brought his arms and blocked the strike.

Deidara caught Shino's hand and replied with a kick with his sternum. Shino coughed and exploded into bugs. "Weakling" Deidara replied before focusing on making more bombs.

"ARGHHHHHHHHH!"

It came without warning. He collapsed to his knees as he felt the pain as strong as one hundred daggers sinking into his stomach. Groaning and screaming with anguish, he writhed about on the dragon, clutching his arms. His eyes were watery with the sheer pain and his breathing came out in sharp, shallow rasps. Sweat dripped down the side of his face and covered his forehead in a thin sheen.

"H-help" Deidara croaked, his desperate tone made his words almost inaudible. Losing control of his clay dragon as he plummeted to the ground, landing rather harshly. The dragon simply melted away into a white substance, quickly being absorbed by the moving sand on the ground.

He trembled in the floor, looking hopelessly as his arms disintegrated in front of his own eyes. Eaten away by some purple substance as it made its way up his arm and unto his shoulders. To make matters worse, he could feel tendrils of sand wrapping themselves around his body.

The first wrapped itself around his chest, binding him to the ground. The next came over his mouth, preventing him from screaming and muffling his moans of pain. Another one over his nose, preventing him from breathing as he was slowly dragged downwards into the depths of the earth.

"I didn't even managed to show my final art" Was Deidara's last thought as his body crumbled to dust and was swallowed by Gaara's sand, buried deep on the ground. Where no one would even find his remains.

"Only Sasori is left" Shino thought happily. Deidara had met his end and honestly, Shino felt no remorse. He had it coming.

"Gotcha!" Shino's eyes widened when he felt arms of wood wrap themselves around his body, restraining any movement. How come Shino's bugs didn't feel Sasori coming and how did he even find him in this darkness?

Gaara's sand came flying at top speeds and immediately crushed the wooden puppet. Although the harm had been done, Shino had been pierced through his shoulder. Though the wound itself wasn't life threating, the poison injected into his veins was. Shino's vision blurred and he fell to his knees.

He wouldn't die from the poison, not with his bugs slowly neutralizing and extracting the poison. But it would take time. Shino coughed a mouthful of blood and kneeled over the sand, dropping to the side. Gaara was next to him in an instant, raising vast shields of sand to block incoming puppets from all directions.

"I couldn't locate Fuu" Gaara said to Shino who stood laying on the ground, taking deep breaths.

"S-she is in here…somewhere" Shino replied, fighting back unconsciousness.

"I've got to drop the dome" Gaara sighed. This sphere was never meant to be used with allies inside. Gaara thrived alone in here with only his opponents, where he could throw sand attacks at will and not worry about hitting a friendly.

*Crack*

Sasori stopped using his puppets when he heard a small crack. He heard for the first time since he was inside the bloody dome. He looked up to see light entering through the dome as it began cracking and falling apart. All around him the dome was collapsing and the world around started appearing.

"So Deidara is gone…" Sasori sighed, unable to locate his partner. Sasori looked to one of his puppets holding Fuu. She was still unconscious but that wouldn't last longer. They expected Gaara to come alone but it appeared that Danzo's plan didn't create as much disruption as expected.

"It just the two of us now" Gaara said, lowering Shino to the ground, away from the incurring battle. "I can't use any jutsu with Fuu standing so close to him" Gaara thought.

"So it seems" Sasori replied, releasing few more puppets. He had already lost his precious third kazekage. He was now using his own body with dozens of puppets simultaneously.

Gaara raised his hands and immediately sand rose from the ground, chasing Sasori who use his puppets to slice through the sand. A scroll glowed briefly on Sasori's back before he started releasing a stream of flames. Gaara immediately commanded his sand around him, forming a solid wall against the incoming fire.

"Shinshin Happa (Eight Waves of Needles)"

A puppet flanked around Gaara's defensive walls and spat a rapid stream of countless senbon. Gaara immediately sent his left arm right, raising a shield of sand to lock the deadly weapons. Another puppet flanked him from the other side, forcing Gaara to close himself completely in sand.

Gaara was trapped inside a solid cocoon of sand, taking fire from the original Sasori and his puppets. "Sabakuha (Desert Wave)" The cocoon exploded in a wave of sand, engulfing the stream of fire and instantly crushing both puppets. Sasori jumped backwards, dodging the wall of sand that crashed in his location.

"Fuuton - Mugen Sajin Daitoppa (Sandstorm Devastation)" Gaara took a deep breath and unleashed a chakra-coated sand cloud, destroying every single puppet and pushing Sasori backwards.

"Time to stop playing around" Sasori said, dropping to the ground and placing a single scroll on the ground. "Hyakki no Soen (Performance of a Hundred Puppets)" Sasori opened his right chest compartment to emit a hundred charka strings, each linking to an already existing puppet.

Gaara watched in wonder at the countless puppets floating in front of him. Being from the Sand village, he had grown knowing puppetry was fairly common art in the village. But even Chiyo's limit was ten puppets at once. Sasori even surpassed his brother Kankuro who was always obsessed with his puppets and rather skilled in his chosen craft.

"DIE!" Sasori yelled gleefully. His hundred puppets stood straighter before plunging downwards towards Gaara. They were so many in number and so clotted together that they blocked the sun, forming a cloud of death heading towards the Ichibi jinchuuriki.

Gaara was about to raise his arms and command his sand when he heard a rattling inside his mind. "Let me out" Shukaku snarled from inside his mindscape. "I wanna play too" Shukaku whined childishly.

"Fine" Gaara sighed in defeat and making Shukaku celebrate in joy. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Summoning Jutsu)" Gaara said, running a bloody thumb over his fore arm, right over a raccoon tattoo. "Ichibi no Shukaku" Gaara said as the ground trembled. All around him the sand rose into the sky like pillars.

"YAHOOOOOOOO!" From inside the sand came a gleeful screech. Sasori's eyes widened, making his puppets halt the assault when he laid eyes upon the towering summon in front of him. A sandy-brown colored tanuki (raccoon) with black cursed seal markings spread all over his body. Jagged, concave mouth and the sclerae of its eyes are black, with yellow irises and pupils that each takes the shape of a black four-pointed star with four black dots around it.

A single tail waving menacingly and Gaara on top of his head. In front of Sasori stood none other than Shukaku, the Ichibi. "About time" Shukaku screamed, relinquishing at his new found freedom.

"Yes" Gaara sighed. Naruto was lucky with his bijuu. Kurama was a reasonable being and with him being a fox he mostly slept all day. But Shukaku! He was like a kid on a sugar rush.

"Let's play! Fuuton – Renkudan (Air Bullet)" Shukaku took a deep breath and pounded his stomach, firing a highly compressed air ball from his mouth. The ball travelled very fast, leveling the forest on its path and along with it, several puppets.

"SCORE!" Shukaku cheered before pumping in more air.

"Fuuton – Renkudan (Air Bullet)"

"Fuuton – Renkudan (Air Bullet)"

"Fuuton – Renkudan (Air Bullet)"

"Fuuton – Renkudan (Air Bullet)"

Sasori watched in despair as the bijuu in front of him proceeded to stomp on his hundred puppets. His eyes widened when a particular attack came to close to comfort, forcing him to summon a few puppets to take the blow for him.

"SHUKAKU" Gaara snarled, watching the last attack get to close to Fuu's body. "Watch your aim or so help me Kami you will never see the light of day again" Gaara warned and Shukaku rubbed the back of his head.

"My bad" Shukaku chuckled weakly while Gaara just sighed in exasperation. Shukaku looked around and spotted the last of the puppets. "Let's end this with a bang" Shukaku said, nearly jumping with joy while Gaara had a sinking feeling in his gut.

"Please no" Gaara thought, closing his eyes in the hopes his worries weren't warranted.

BIJUUDAMA

"Oh dear" Gaara watched in disbelief as Shukaku unleashed his most powerful attack against the remaining puppets. A purple sphere shot from his mouth and in the blink of an eye and smashed against the puppets, lighting the sky ablaze in a maelstrom of fire. The earth shook as the fire in the sky consumed every remaining puppet, leaving nothing behind. Not even ashes.

"That was fun" Shukaku said, coming down from his high while Gaara just shook his head. Sasori for his part was rooted in place. What was he supposed to do against a bijuu? His puppets were wood and the beast in front of him could level a mountain of hard granite. It was times like these he felt like crying and calling for his mommy.

"Urgh!" Sasori was broken from his thought when he heard a grunt. His head snapped to Fuu's direction to see her awakening and trying to shake away the dizziness. Sasori took the opportunity and did the only thing he could against opponents like Gaara and the Ichibi.

Sasori wrapped his arms around Fuu and pulled her up, shielding himself behind her and placing a kunai at her throat. "Stop or she goes with me" Sasori threatened and Gaara immediately halted his progress.

"Whazzz is?" Fuu slurred, still dizzy.

"You won't be going anywhere Sasori" Gaara said, stopping a few feet from the Akatsuki member. "If you surrender you can avoid death" Gaara offered.

"I hold the cards here kid" Sasori chuckled, hiding his nervousness behind his laugh.

"No you don't" Gaara countered. "You won't be leaving from here. And you can either go with your legs or on a body bag" Gaara warned.

"And would you be willing to sacrifice her for my capture?" Sasori asked with a smirk.

"Anytime" Gaara replied without hesitation, making Sasori's eyes widen in disbelief. "So choose! Legs or body bag" Gaara commanded and Sasori stood rooted. What Sasori didn't realize was that Gaara didn't really want an answer. Gaara was simply buying time for Shino to make his move.

"I-" Sasori started but was cut off when a swarm of bugs burst from the ground, right beneath his feet. The bugs immediately dug deep into his joints, preventing any time of movement and freezing Sasori on the stop. "URGHHHH" the remaining bugs swarmed around him and started plunging down his throat.

Fuu fell to the ground where Gaara's sand immediately caught her. "Are you alright?" Gaara asked, lying her flat on his sand cloud. Fuu merely nodded and Gaara's attention shifted back to Sasori and Shino.

Sasori screamed, his wooden being twisted in unnatural angles. Gaara gulped distastefully as he watched bugs start to pour out from every orifice on Sasori's body. From his ears, his nose and his eyes. "That's not a good way to go" Gaara shivered, watching as Sasori was eaten from the inside out until nothing remained behind.

Sasori disappeared and his cloak dropped to the ground. Shino materialized himself where Sasori had previously stood. He hunched down on one knee with sweat dripping down his forehead. "It's done" Shino said and looked towards Gaara and Fuu. Even in his exhausted state he managed to stand and made his way towards them.

"Fuu-chan" Shino muttered, moving her hair away from her face and gazing into her orange eyes.

"Shino-kun" Fuu muttered with a small smile. She knew he would come for her. She closed her eyes and leaned forward ever so slightly. The action was reciprocated by Shino and their lips met in a soft kiss filled with raw emotion.

Gaara smiled softly and noticed that Shino could barely stand on his own legs. He chuckled quietly and used his sand to rise Shino into the same sand cloud. Fuu snuggled into Shino's chest and both closed their eyes, comfortable in each other's company. Gaara jumped into another patch of sand and looked behind to see Fuu and Shino lip locked once again. "GET A ROOM!" Gaara couldn't refrain from shouting.

"YOU DIDN'T SEE ME COMPLAINING WHEN I CAUGHT YOU WITH HAKU-CHAN" Fuu snapped and Gaara's eyes widened in shock and he felt a certain warmth rushing his cheeks.

"She's got you there" Shukaku chuckled.

"Shut up" Gaara grumbled. Everything is good when it ends good.

## With Danzo – A few minutes later ##

"There is no way to go now, Hatake" Danzo snapped as he dropped down from the roofs.

"I am not hiding anymore Danzo-san" Kakashi said cheerily making Danzo's eyes twitch. "I'll be leaving now" Kakashi said and started limping away.

"You won't be going anywhere" Danzo said sharply.

"I wouldn't be too sure of that" Kakashi began in a sing sang voice. "Right…Hokage-sama?" Kakashi asked, pointing behind Danzo.

"Even in my retirement I get to deal with this bullshit" Hiruzen muttered behind his breath as he jumped down, standing a few feet away from Danzo. "Hello…Danzo" Hiruzen said seriously.

"Hiruzen" Danzo replied back, staring at his former rival.

"I had hoped you would leave your foolish endeavors and devious plots behind" Hiruzen said but Danzo merely huffed in reply.

"This village is but a shadow of its former self" Danzo said. "And sometimes, you need to cut a few branches so the tree might grow bigger and healthier" Danzo said, blurring through hand seals.

"Fuuton - Shinkuuha (Air Blade)" Danzo took a deep breath and released a wind blade, heading straight towards the old hokage.

"How right you are old friend, how right you are." Hiruzen shook his head grimly, thinking back to the Uchiha clan massacre.

"Katon - Karyudan no Jutsu (Fire Dragon)" Hiruzen took a deep breath and unleashed a torrent of fire that swallowed the wind blade in the blink of an eye. Danzo jumped backwards into the walls of the Sarutobi compound and leaped high into the air.

"Fuuton - Shinkugyoku (Vacuum Bullets)" Danzo took advantage of Hiruzen's still form during his jutsu and released several wind bullets that travelled at high speeds. Danzo narrowed his eyes when Hiruzen was hit only to simply crumble to mud.

Danzo felt a slight shift in the air behind him and looked backwards, only to be hit with a staff straight into the jaw. Hiruzen saw Danzo stumble and used the moment to extend his staff and slam it against Danzo's gut. His old rival took the blow and plummeted to the ground at high speeds.

BOOOM

Once the dust had cleared Hiruzen saw Danzo's head bent in an unnatural angle. It didn't take a genius to see that Danzo was clearly dead. "It is done" Hiruzen said sadly and sat down on the ground, never noting the shimmer in Danzo's corpse.

*SQUELCH*

Hiruzen's breathing hitched when he felt a kunai pierce through his chest. "Such a rookie mistake old friend" Danzo chuckled but was caught completely off guard when he saw Hiruzen chuckling as well.

"I'm not that old" Hiruzen replied before bursting into mud. "Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shuriken Shadow Clones)"

Danzo's head snapped towards the voice only to find a sea of shurikens coming against him. He couldn't do nothing but be hit again, again and again until he dropped to the ground. His breathing hitched as he died again, the blood pooling on the ground. At the roof tops Hiruzen swung his staff and looked around, waiting for his old friend to pop up again.

Hiruzen felt a presence and turned to that direction immediately. He watched in fascination as his old friend appeared out of nowhere. He looked exactly the same. Hiruzen's eyes wandered over Danzo until he spotted one critical difference. When Danzo arrived here, his arms had five open sharingan but now there were only three left.

(FLASHBACK)

"Izanagi?" Kushina asked out loud.

"Izanagi is a kinjutsu of the Uchiha Clan and their ultimate genjutsu" Naruto started. "By sacrificing an eye, the Uchiha can use this technique to gain the power to turn imagination into reality. It was said to be derived from my 'Creation of All Things'" Naruto explained and Kushina's eyes widened along those who didn't known of this.

"Tobirama is right" Naruto replied getting a shocked look from Hiruzen. "If the Uchiha Clan had committed to the coup d'état and used Izanagi then Konoha would have fallen in a single night" Naruto explained and Tobirama nodded.

(END FLASHBACK)

"Izanagi" Hiruzen muttered behind his breath and Danzo's eyes widened in disbelief.

"How do you know such technique?" Danzo asked with shock plastered over his face.

"You underestimate me old friend" Hiruzen chuckled and dashed forward, meeting Danzo head on and delivering fast and brutal strikes. Danzo's head was still swirling with a hundred thoughts on how Hiruzen knew of such hidden technique.

Danzo pulled a kunai and parried Hiruzen's staff. He stumbled backwards due to the strength behind the swing. Hiruzen took the opportunity and kicked him in the chest, sending Danzo flying backwards. Danzo flipped midair and landed safely on the ground. His breathing itched when he felt a kunai being driven through his chest.

Danzo looked backwards to see Hiruzen melting into mud after delivering the fatal blow. "Two to go" Hiruzen thought, pulling a couple of kunai and hurling them all around him.

Danzo shimmered into existence only to take the full blunt of a couple of kunais. His widened as he died again. "H-How?" His voice strained in disbelief.

"You always were too predictable" Hiruzen replied. "One eye left"

This time Hiruzen felt Danzo shimmer into existence farther away from the battle. Hiruzen could feel him nearby but couldn't not see him. "Fuuton - Shinkuuha (Air Blade)" Hiruzen slammed his staff on the ground and jumped into the ground, avoiding the deadly wind blade.

While midair he felt another one approaching. He swung his adamantine staff and smashed it against the jutsu, dispelling it. Hiruzen landed on the ground and immediately slammed both hands on the ground. The earth rippled apart as an earthquake shook the ground and broke the earth apart.

Danzo jumped out of cover when he saw the ground destroying itself and heading towards him. In the blink of an eye Hiruzen was upon him and both shinobi engaged in taijutsu once more. They were equals in this art except Hiruzen had one firm advantage, his summon in the form of his staff.

Enma's hands appeared from his staff and wrapped themselves around Danzo's head, snapping his neck in an instant. Hiruzen let Danzo drop to the floor and watched as he disappeared once again and shimmered into existence a few feet away.

"No more seconds chances Danzo" Hiruzen said in a serious voice. Danzo for his part stayed put considering his next move. What was he supposed to do now? He had used all ten of his eyes. Hiruzen was still on good shape and he had failed to kill Tsunade. "I surrender" Danzo said while Hiruzen's jaw dropped in shock.

"You expect me to believe that?" Hiruzen asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm finished" Danzo said and dropped to the ground on his knees. "I won't be able to run away and my plan has failed. I knew what I doing when I started and knew the consequences should I fail" Danzo said exposing his chest to reveal black markings.

"Ura Shisho Fuin (Reverse Four Symbols Sealing)" Hiruzen noticing the seal activating jumped backwards to gain distance from Danzo. He watched sadly as Danzo unleashed a large, black sphere around him that swallowed everything around and sealed it inside of his body, his life along with it.

Danzo's body fell forward, dead. "I truly hope you find peace on the other side" Hiruzen muttered, hoisting Danzo's body and taking him away. The roots of Konoha had been cut.

## Naruto vs. Nagato ##

Stare

That was all he could do. That…was the only thing running through Nagato's mind at this point in time. His jaw was opened and his eyes widened in disbelief. He himself stood on top of the Gedo Mazo, the biggest of any summons he could manage and yet, it barely reached the knees of the colossal beast standing in front of him.

It was completely silver in color, neither to dark nor light, with the exception of completely pitch black eyes, so dark that they could be mistaken by hollow sockets instead of actual eyes. Long, shaggy white hair that reached its waist with sharp, jagged teeth and two massive red horns protruding from its forehead.

A samurai-like armor, forming robes, pointed shoes and body armor on its shoulders and waist. Over the armor, a large white garment and on his back, bony and featherless wings. Never forgetting the twin scythes strapped to his back.

The Susanoo raised a single hand and placed it on top of the Crystal Peak Mountain, the biggest and tallest mountain in the elemental nations, and yet, it barely reached above the Susanoo's waist. Naruto's Susanoo stood proud and tall, in all its colossal size, looking down at Kumo like some demonic visage.

Nagato flinched when the Susanoo moved his head ever so slowly, hearing what sounded almost like metallic gears, grinding themselves together. The Susanoo stopped its movement and all that Nagato could focus was those black eyes, peering into his soul and that was until he noticed a diamond shaped figure in the middle of the its forehead.

And inside of it, Naruto stood with his arms crossed and seemingly floating midair. Susanoo started moving again and Nagato watched as the figure bent and lowered itself until its black eyes were but a few feet away from the Gedo Mazo.

"Tell me Nagato" Naruto began, drawing Nagato's attention from the Susanoo's black eyes and unto himself. "Do you feel like a god?" Naruto asked with a smirk tugging his lips. "Or an ant?…about to be squashed like the bug he is" Naruto said, his sharingan glowing with so much unbridled power that its traditional black pattern was lost in a sea of red.

Nagato's voice got caught in his throat. It was mind boggling. There were no others words for it. He himself had battled against the sharingan. Hell! He had fought against its true power, the mangekyou sharingan and yet, all those times palled in comparison to now. He had fought Itachi to see if was worthy of joining the Akatsuki.

But even Itachi couldn't do…this. Sure he had seen Itachi's Susanoo but even that was a mere fraction compared to Naruto. The visage in front of him made everyone else's sharingans feel like cheap knocks with Naruto being its true heir.

And yet, Nagato couldn't help but to ponder on this. The sharingan was supposed to be descended from his own eyes, the Rinnegan, the first and strongest of all doujutsu. If that was true, then how far was he from truly mastering his Rinnegan? Was there more power beyond his grasp and understanding of the seven paths?

Perfect Susanoo. Nagato, the man who considered himself a god, felt a very human chill running up his spine. Susanoo, the god of sea and storms. Nagato was brought from his thoughts when he felt the ground shake around him.

His eyes widened when he saw the Susanoo pick the Gedo Mazo like some doll. "Hold on tight Nagato" Naruto chuckled and Nagato panicked as he secured himself to the top of the statue. "We are leaving the village" Naruto said as the Susanoo's wings opened and his knees bent. With a powerful flap of its wings, Naruto's Susanoo shot into the sky with the gedo mazo in hand, and a yelling Nagato on top of its head.

It seemed more like a jump than a flight because they landed mere seconds later. Naruto simply threw the gedo mazo to the ground and raised a single leg. "Insects know their place right?" Naruto asked and brought his foot down at blinding speeds.

BOOOOOMMMMM

It felt like a meteorite had hit the ground. Nagato had barely been able to order the gedo mazo to roll on the ground, avoiding the Susanoo's foot by mere inches. Not that it mattered, the sheer force of the kick hurled the gedo mazo into the air and crashing into the ground.

ROARRRRR

The gedo mazo quickly got up and roared, sending a shockwave, pushing and dislodging the earth apart. "Cute" Naruto said and watched as the gedo mazo's head started glowing a bright blue and shot several bolts of chakra against Naruto.

Naruto's Susanoo simply stopped walking and watched as the chakra bolts crashed into the armor and dispelled in smoke, not even a scratch on his ultimate defense. "Did you know that my Susanoo is very special?" Naruto rhetorically asked and watched as the Gedo Mazo placed some distance between them.

Nagato's eyes bulged out in shock when he saw Naruto's Susanoo make a single hand seal and rear its back slightly, as if taking a deep breath. Unfortunately his worries were confirmed very quickly. "Katon - Goka Mekkyaku (Great Fire Annihilation)" From the Susanoo's mouth came an ocean of fire.

Nagato did the only thing he could and raised his arms into the sky. "Gakido (Preta Path)" Nagato yelled as a silver sphere rose around him mere moments before he and the statue were engulfed in white hot flames. Nagato had to shut his eyes due to the brightness of the fire surrounding him.

The gedo mazo roared in a hopeless effort to push back the flames. Nagato had sweat pouring down his face as he focused solely on the task at hand. While he could easily absorb the chakra of the fire technique, and thus be unharmed by it, the sheer heat of the fire around him was taking its toll.

It was a matter of time. If Nagato dropped his shield prematurely he would be reduced to ashes before even using the Deva Path. The only thing he could do was hold and hope that the Susanoo's breath ended shortly. His hopes were confirmed as the flames died down and Nagato dropped his shield, panting. His hair was wet and clinging to his skin with beads of sweat running down his face.

He looked around to see that the Gedo Mazo was unhurt although everything around had been scorched so badly that even the earth was the color of charcoal. "I have no choice" Nagato thought to himself grimly. Summoning the gedo mazo was dangerous as it was but this would be suicidal. "I have to try. If I can't win…no one can" Nagato thought to himself as he sat cross legged on top of the gedo mazo, bending his legs with the help of his arms.

Naruto stopped his advances and simply watched in curiosity as Nagato sat and took deep breath, closing his eyes in concentration. "Now that's bold. Closing his eyes when I'm in front of him" Naruto chuckled to himself. The last fire technique didn't take as much chakra as he expected. It would seem any jutsu would cost the same amount of chakra despite being used in its Susanoo form, and thus, being exponentially more powerful.

Suddenly the ground grumbled as the gedo mazo's eyes opened themselves with the exception of four that remained with the eyes lids closed.

ROARRRR

The gedo mazo roared as he opened his mouth and started concentrating a mixture of blue and red chakra. Both chakras swirled around each other, forming a purple sphere.

BIJUUDAMA

The gedo mazo reared his head before unleashing the tailed best ball against Naruto, sending it straight for the Susanoo's head. Before it could even get any close, Naruto brought a single hand and flicked the tailed beast bomb away, like some bug that landed on its arm.

"Enough" Nagato snapped, seeing his latest attack deflected like nothing. His Rinnegan started glowing softly as he clasped both hands together. "CHIBAKU TENSEI" Nagato roared as he released a small black sphere high into the sky.

The gravity core glowed brightly before triggering into action, pulling chunks of rock into the sky. "Oh?" Naruto wondered in surprise when he felt his Susanoo rise in the air ever so slowly just before dropping back into the ground.

Nagato, seeing this, tightened both hands together, pushing his technique to the absolute limit. A small trail of blood ran down from his eyes and nose as he poured everything he had into this last technique. The sky glowed brighter and this time Naruto knew that even with his Susanoo, he would be pulled upwards.

Naruto took a single scythe from his back and with a simple flick of its blade, he sent a crescent silver wave of chakra into the sky, cleaving the satellite-like construct in half and making it explode in the sky.

Nagato watched in disbelief as his strongest jutsu was destroyed like nothing and simply saw the debris raining down back to the earth. Nagato's vision blurred as he shook his head, pushing the unconsciousness back. He watched as Naruto's Susanoo bent his knees and broke into a run, the earth quaking with each step he took.

Nagato panicked when Naruto's Susanoo quickly arrived near him and drew his right foot back. Nagato pushed himself off the statue as the Susanoo's foot connected and launched it into the sky, quickly disappearing in the horizon. "He kicked the fucking the gedo mazo like some football" Nagato grumbled in thought as he landed harshly on the ground.

A single Susanoo arm approached Nagato's body and two bony fingers caught him gently by the head, raising him into the sky so that he stood front to front with Naruto for the first time. He coughed and watched as the diamond figure slowly opened and Naruto simply levitated outside.

His blood ran cold as his Rinnegan stared back at another pair of silver eyes. Except these were glowing in a darker tone of silver than his own. "I-Impossible" Nagato whispered with his eyes fixed on Naruto's Rinnegan.

"No Nagato" Naruto said as he took a deep breath. "Just dear old me" Naruto said and opened his hands, letting Nagato fall to the ground. Naruto took a deep breath and let his Susanoo dissipate as he also dropped to the ground.

Nagato crashed into the ground and remained in the same spot. He could barely move his legs and he had put everything into the last technique. Nagato looked up and watched as Naruto approached and raised a single arm towards him, letting a small black metal rod appear from his hand.

Naruto took the black rod and sent it towards Nagato, piercing through his right shoulder and pinning him to the ground. The rod would disrupt his chakra and make sure he was going nowhere.

"Peace" Naruto said and Nagato looked at him in confusion. "That is what you seek yes?" Naruto asked and Nagato nodded silently. "We are not so different at all Nagato. We just had the bad luck of finding ourselves on opposite sides of the board" Naruto said.

"S-So this is it?" Nagato asked with half-lidded eyes, coughing into the ground and raising a small dust cloud. "I would have thought that Konoha preached mercy?" Nagato asked and Naruto simply chuckled in return.

"Do you expect me to forgive you after everything you've done?" Naruto asked with a raised eyebrow as he stopped a few feet from Nagato. "I'm not proud of it but I've killed countless shinobi Nagato. What makes you any different from them?" Naruto asked but Nagato remained silent. Nagato's reign was ending today.

"No. In Kiri I learned to control over my temper and shame and remorse over my actions. With Itachi and Nao I learned forgiveness. And with the Uchiha clan I learned that sacrifices are necessary" Naruto sighed.

"I buried my hesitance, guilt and regret the day I chose to eliminate the Uchiha Clan" Naruto said and Nagato's eyes widened in surprise. So that is why Tobi had been so pissed off for weeks and pushed this attack slightly ahead of schedule.

"Do you want to know what Hagoromo taught me? What he himself learned from his mother?" Naruto asked and Nagato frowned at the name but shook his head nonetheless.

"There is no black and white in war. War is cruelty. There is no use trying to reform it. However, the crueler it is, the sooner it will be over" Naruto said and raised his arm, creating another black rod.

"Goodbye…Uzumaki…Nagato" Naruto said and watched as Nagato closed his eyes before he threw his metallic rod.

*SQUELCH*

Nagato closed his eyes and waited for the pain that would end his life on this earth. His waiting was broken by a squelch sound. He opened his eyes in confusion and found himself shocked with his eyes opened in shock. "K-Konan?"

Konan had stepped between Nagato and the black rod, shielding him from it. Konan was kneeling in front of Nagato, her wings forming a cocoon around them. Blood was dripping from her mouth and Nagato noticed the black rod impaled through her chest and sticking into the ground.

"Why?" Nagato whispered.

"W-why?" Konan chuckled weakly. "B-because we made a promise…a long time ago" Konan said softly, her eyelids becoming heavier.

"We will always be together" a small flash of memory rose in Nagato's mind. A young bubbly Konan placing her arms around both Nagato and Yahiko.

"Promise?" a younger Nagato asked timidly.

"Of course" younger Konan said, puffing her chest in pride while Yahiko just laughed.

"Konan?" Nagato asked but got no response. He looked up to see that her eyes had lost their light and she had departed from this world.

"You weren't supposed to die. Neither of us was" Nagato thought grimly before he looked up to Naruto with hate plastered in his face. He could feel it bubbling inside of him, burning through him.

"I told you Nagato" Naruto sighed as he looked over to Hinata who had arrived moments after Konan. "There is no white and black. Both sides lose in war and while this is a very sad moment, nothing will change until this shinobi system exists" Naruto explained and Nagato's gaze softened.

"You answer to peace wouldn't wo-"

"AND YOURS WILL?" Nagato roared. "I heard you the first time we met. You want peace and yet you do nothing to achieve it. You simply sit around and watch as this world breaks apart so you can thrive in the place you do best, the battlefield" Nagato spat.

"You are wrong Nagato" Naruto countered without raising his voice. "You seek peace through strength and that wouldn't last. Oppressing people would do this world nothing good" Naruto explained.

"What do you suggest then?" Nagato asked harshly.

"I have my answer but not how to achieve it" Naruto replied honestly. "But I know that your answer won't work. I will do whatever my heart tells me to do. If that means stopping anyone that would sacrifice freedom for peace then I will stand against them, like I stand against you now" Naruto answered with a serious voice.

"Peace is such a fleeting little thing" Naruto chuckled softly. "Even the smallest of ripples and disrupt it…but it's something worth fighting for. But this that you do, killing thousand for no good reason, there is no peace in this" Naruto finished.

Nagato stood silent and simply took in everything Naruto said. "No one knows what kind of person they are, until the very end" Flashes of everything began running through Nagato's mind. In a way, he was reliving his life up to this point, all in the blink of an eye.

(FLASHBACK)

"If we're gonna "understand" each other, first we gotta make 'em suffer like we're sufferin'! Like when they stop a fight because someone got injured! But I know that'll never happen… that's why there'll always be war. It always rains here and I hate it. It's like this whole country is a big crybaby. I'm going to change it… and protect everyone!"

Nagato listened silently as Yahiko talked to Jiraiya, both unaware of his presence just a few feet away, hidden behind the wooden door. "Protect everyone?" Nagato wondered, listening carefully.

-SCENE BREAK—

"You and Konan… you've gotta stay alive somehow… You're… the savior of… the world… You… can… bring… real-" Yahiko's head fell forward, his eyes closing as he died in the shoulders of his best friend.

-SCENE BREAK—

"If war is going to continue — I will become the god of the world!"

-SCENE BREAK—

"Where there is light, there is also darkness. As long there are winners, there will also be losers as well. It is cause and effect, and one cannot be separated from the other. But imagine a world that knows only winners. A world that knows only peace. A world that knows only love. Worlds like these can be created. Help us and you will learn the way"

"Finally your dreams come to fruition" Tobi said as he arrived via Kamui. "It was worth all the sacrifices it took to get here" Tobi said, looking at the six paths standing in front of the fallen Hanzo. "It was a long journey but this is the end of the internal warfare of the Hidden Rain. All there is left is to conquer the land and create the world we want" Tobi explained.

"Now, I will need to ask you to help fulfill my dreams. I believe that was the promise" Tobi said, looking intently towards Nagato.

"I understand" Nagato replied. "So what do you specifically require?" Nagato asked.

"First is members" Tobi began. "In order to move as "the Akatsuki", I'd say we need to gather…Let's say 10 members, not including me. In the Akatsuki we already have you and Konan, with Zetsu that makes three. Go and gather seven others" Tobi finished.

"Why not count yourself among us?" Nagato asked suspiciously.

"I need to take care of things behind the scenes" Tobi replied. "When the time comes, I will join the Akatsuki, but until then you will be the leader"

"Understood. Originally, your plan was one of my goals. It's good to know that we're both on the same page" Nagato said.

"Heh" Tobi grunted, narrowing his eyes behind the orange mask.

"So what are we going to do about finding the other members?" Konan asked.

"I already have my eyes on some" Tobi explained, crossing his arms. "It would be a tragedy if any who were unworthy joined."

"Who are they?" Konan asked.

"I have three in particular in mind" Tobi said, raising three fingers. "One stole the Hidden Waterfall's secret technique and is now an immortal, Kakuzu. Second, a rogue ninja of the Sand, a puppeteering genius, Sasori. The third and final is someone not too distant from me, the one who slaughtered his own clan, Uchiha Itachi. I will bring him in myself"

"Zetsu here will be your guide. Contact each one of them and bring them in. Now go. Complete your assignment. For our ambitions." Tobi replied, warping away.

-SCENE BREAK—

"How is everything so far?" Tobi asked, leaning back on his couch.

"Including Itachi, whom you brought into the Akatsuki yourself, our members are out collecting information on the jinchuuriki and gathering funds." Konan explained.

"Good" Tobi nodded, resting his head on his fist.

"And how about you?" Pein asked, looking towards Tobi. "Have you had any luck finding us new members?"

"Yes" Tobi replied. "The next is the Hidden Mist ninja, Hoshigaki Kisame"

"Kisame" Pein wondered. "The monster of the Hidden Mist"

"I will get in touch with him from my side" Tobi informed.

"One more thing sir" Konan said, bringing Tobi's attention to her. "We recently received some interesting information on our side"

"What?"

"One of the Sannin, Orochimaru. He's sneaking around trying to gather information on the Akatsuki" Pein said.

"What do we do? Stop him?" Konan asked. "We know what route he's taking"

"Where did you get this information?" Tobi asked curious.

"It's from Sasori's subordinate, Kabuto." Konan replied.

"Pein, you and Sasori handle this. You decide what to do with him once you get in touch with him." Tobi said.

"Understood"

"The Orochimaru I know is crafty and difficult to handle. It won't be easy to extract the information that he has. There has to be a motive behind this." Tobi said cautiously. Pein merely nodded and walked out.

-SCENE BREAK-

"So" Tobi began. "How is our new member, Orochimaru?" Tobi asked with a certain curiosity in his tone.

"Unremarkable so far. He's been rather quiet" Pein replied.

"Even Orochimaru with Pein keeping a keen eye can't take any major action" Tobi chuckled.

"By the way Madara" Konan began. "The member you brought in earlier, Kisame, has been teamed up with Itachi"

"Yes, that's fine" Tobi waved her off. "Eventually we will have them form teams as well. That's why we need another new member" Tobi explained.

"So who's next?" Konan asked.

"Deidara, the rogue ninja of the Hidden Stone Village. Bring him in and team him up with Sasori" Tobi said.

-SCENE BREAK-

"It's been quite a while since all of us came together like this" Deidara chuckled as he looked at the ghostly figures of the Akatsuki members.

"What's the occasion this time?" Kakuzu asked.

"The tenth and final candidate to join us has been located." Pein informed.

"Finally….and?" Sasori asked.

"Orochimaru" Pein began, looking straight at Orochimaru. "There's a new religious group calling themselves the Way of Jashin. Well, I guess you could call them a cult. I received information that recently the group succeeded in a certain experiment" Pein said.

"Oh" Orochimaru asked, raising his eyebrow in curiosity. "And what would this experiment be?"

"Immortality" Pein replied.

"Immortality?" Kakuzu asked out loud.

"The one of became immortal is called Hidan. He used to be a ninja of the Hidden Steam Village. We will bring Hidan as our newest member. Orochimaru, Kakuzu and Zetsu, your task is to bring him in" Pein said.

"Understood" Zetsu drawled. The rest of them disappeared leaving only Orochimaru, Kakuzu and Zetsu behind.

"Be aware all of you" Pein said. "From what I know of him…he will not be an easy one to convince"

-SCENE BREAK-

"The Akatsuki is finally assembled" Pein began, as he stood in front of the nine members, with the Gedo Mazo behind him. "Konan, Itachi, Kisame, Sasori, Deidara, Kakuzu, Hidan, Orochimaru and Zetsu. Each of you has your own agenda and your own dreams. We have finally come this far and now, at last, we will move into full-scale action"

"Our targets are all the tailed beats from the one tail to the nine tails. The opponents are strong, but we will gather all the nine bijuu and bring the great ambition of the Akatsuki to fruition" Pein said, raising his fist into the air. "We ten shall accomplish this. And understand this…failure is not an option" Pein finished as the group walked out of the cave.

"The curtain opens on the Akatsuki" Tobi whispered to himself, sitting on top of the Gedo Mazo, having watched the meeting without anyone realizing his presence. "Now…Project Tsuki no Me (Moon's Eye Plan)…begins"

-SCENE BREAK-

"We have finally gathered five of the nine bijuu" Tobi began, looking at Pain. "Hachibi remains in Kumo while the Ichibi, Nanabi and the Kyuubi are in the leaf"

"We have already lost Kakuzu and Hidan to the Kyuubi" Pein said. "What do you suggest we do?"

"I contacted Danzo in the leaf. It appears he's unhappy with the course his village is taking and as agreed to come to terms" Tobi chuckled. "You will go for the Kyuubi in Kumo while Sasori and Deidara will take the remaining two in the leaf" Tobi said.

"Understood" Pein replied and walked out.

"Soon Naruto" Tobi thought, gripping his fists tightly. "You will pay for your defiance"

(END FLASHBACK)

A split second was all it took. Nagato broke from his thoughts and looked up, staring at Naruto intently. He was about to reply with his own words when another memory popped into his head. It came from seemingly nowhere.

"Akatsuki?" Nagato asked in confusion but Yahiko nodded nonetheless.

"Yes. The three of us and anyone who wishes to join" Yahiko said excitedly. "We will bring peace to this world without violence. Together we can achieve anything" Yahiko nearly shouted.

A single phrase immediately changed Nagato's mind and he chuckled aimlessly, making Naruto look at him confusion. "You were right" Nagato said and Naruto raised an eyebrow in shock. "Yahiko started the Akatsuki in search for peace without violence. I guess that without him…I lost myself in my own pain" Nagato smiled sadly.

"Could you take the rod out? I have one last thing to do" Nagato asked and Naruto shrugged his shoulders. He was curious what Nagato would do. Naruto approached him and swiftly took the rod out. Nagato didn't even flinch as the metal bar left his flesh.

"I've damaged this world enough as it is. Maybe this heal some of that" Nagato said, shakily bringing both hands together. "Gedo (Outer Path)" Nagato began and Naruto's eyes widened at the seal sequence. "Rinne Tensei no Jutsu (Samsara of the Heavenly Life)"

With the final seal he exploded in green light, much similar to the one Naruto had used many times before. Hundreds of green lights flew off to the distance, heading towards Kumo. A single one remained behind, slowly wrapping itself around Konan's body. It was over before Nagato could blink.

Konan took a deep breath and opened her eyes in shock. "Nagato!" She yelled, looking around in confusion. She looked back and saw both Hinata and Naruto looking sadly at her and Nagato. She turned her attention towards him and noticed the white hair. "What have you done?" Konan asked in disbelief, cradling his head to his legs.

"Today, I have seen the path that will lead to peace" Nagato began, coughing harshly. "And it is not through the suffering of the weak and powerless. It is through empathy, compassion, and it is through mercy that this peace will flourish. You have opened my eyes" Nagato said, looking at Naruto. "And I have seen the path that will lead to peace"

"You could stand with us" Naruto offered. Nagato however was shocked by the offer. "I told you Nagato" Naruto chuckled. "I offer forgiveness for those who leave their old path behind"

"Perhaps" Nagato chuckled weakly and lookup at the sky, feeling a single tear fall from Konan and slide over his cheek. "But not me" Nagato sighed. "I've done enough. My time is over. If anyone will find peace… it will be…you" Nagato whispered, his voice getting duller as he let out his last breath, dying with a smile on his face for the first time in many years.

"War brings nothing but death, pain and suffering to both sides, it's a never ending cycle of hatred" Naruto remembered Hagoromo's words as he walked forward, kneeling in front of Nagato.

Konan had tears running down her face, ruining her purple eye liner. She looked up and her eyes widened when she saw Naruto kneeling in front of Nagato and bending his head slowly as a sign of respect. "Why?" Konan sobbed.

"Because he was a shinobi that deserved respect" Naruto replied with a small smile. Hinata was also kneeling next to him. "No matter what he did. He did what his heart told him" Naruto explained and rose once more. His eyes shifted to the east, looking at the smoke rising from Kumo.

"I guess this is the end" Naruto sighed and looked back towards Konan. "Where will you go now?" Naruto asked.

"Back to the Rain" She smiled. "We fought hard for our village and I would hate it for that to go to ruin" Konan said and waved her hand, making several paper tags start to wrap themselves around Nagato.

"Wait" Naruto said and Konan stopped abruptly, looking at him in confusion. Naruto walked up to Nagato and kneeled once more next to his head. Before Konan could protest, Naruto plucked Nagato's eyes and placed them in a vial filled with a greenish fluid just before warping it to his dimension.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Konan snapped. "YOU DARE DEFILE HIM AFTER EVERYTHING?" Konan yelled, her bloodline already threatening to activate. Naruto rose a single hand and stopped any further action. He took a deep breath and opened his eyes, showing her his own Rinnegan.

"I didn't take his eyes for power since I have my own" Naruto replied and Konan simply stared at him. "The Rinnegan is a very powerful tool. I'm sorry but I can't allow it to fall into the wrong hands" Naruto explained and Konan smiled sadly.

"I guess he was right in the end" Konan said sadly, wrapping Nagato in paper tags. "You will the one to bring peace to the world" Konan said and she levitated Nagato's body. "I will be returning to the Rain to continue his work. Until then…" Konan said as she dispersed in paper and left the area.

Naruto took a deep breath and looked up to the blue sky. Naruto was surprised when he felt a hand land on his shoulders. He looked back to see Hinata smiling at him. Naruto took her hand and started walking back to Kumo with her.

Naruto was calmly walking when his feet hit something. He stopped and looked down in confusion, trying to find what exactly made him trip. It was Nagato's Akatsuki cloak. It was nearly ripped to shreds and covered in dust. Naruto bent down and picked it up from the ground, shaking the dust off.

With a single glow from his eyes, the cloak mended itself back to its original form, free of tears and holes. "What are you doing?" Hinata asked with surprise when she saw Naruto repairing the Akatsuki cloak and putting it own as if he owned it.

"The Akatsuki was created to bring peace to the world" Naruto chuckled as he put on the cloak. "I see no better way to honor his memory than to bear his mark" Naruto said and Hinata smiled in acknowledgment.

The old Akatsuki may be gone…but a new one had risen in its place…a better one.