Chapter 36: Naruto Shippuden 4
-Inside a Random Cave-
"Man this sucks!" Deidara said.
"I believe this is proof enough that your art is nothing compared to mine." His partner Sasori replied to him mockingly.
"Shut up Sasori I didn't see you fighting a Kage with full control over his Tailed Beast!" exclaimed Deidara
"But it was the One Tail?"
"Still a Kage level Shinobi!"
"Enough Deidara you are wasting my time," Sasori growled as he pointed to the ring on Deidara's remaining arm after he lost it from Gaara's sand crushing it. "We must call for reinforcements else the Jinchuuriki fall back into enemy hands."
"Yeah I know," Deidara sighed as he sat down on a rock and made a half ram seal with Sasori doing the same as the two fell into a comatose-like state.
Suddenly appearing inside a cave standing on a finger of the Gedo Statue with the other members of the Akatsuki beginning to appear moments later.
"What is the meaning of this Deidara, Sasori," Pain asked in his usual cold tone.
"We have secured the One Tail as instructed however one of Deidara's clay birds spotted a sudden rip opened up as a few Konoha Shinobi walked out of it entering the Sand Village." Sasori said in his coarse voice.
"Oi look Deidara lost an arm, Jinchuuriki a little too much for you was he," Kisame teased prompting Deidara to attempt to defend himself when the entire room fell silent upon hearing Pain clear his throat.
"Itachi and Kisame should be near the hideout so they should be able to assist, I trust that will suffice?"
"It should be more than enough," Sasori replied with a nod of his head.
"Very well then keep moving to the hideout and ensure you do not summon us again until the extraction process is ready to begin."
"Yes, Leader," both Deidara and Sasori said in unison as they vanished.
"The rest of you remain on standby until the process is ready to begin, the One Tails will be ours soon enough."
All the figures vanished leaving a lone plant-like being in the corner to smirk to himself as he vanished back into the ground with his own plan to enact.
-With Team 7-
They soon arrived at the other side of the portal with the sight of a cave with a boulder blocking it.
"So this is where the Akatsuki are then," Sakura asked Naruko who nodded
"There seems to be a seal on it. Gimme a second and Sakura follow me" Naruko said walking over to the boulder.
'Naruko, I can burn away the seals on the boulder with my corrosive chakra.' came Tamamo's voice from her telepathic connection.
"Thanks, I was planning on using some runes which would have taken a while to draw.' Naruko telepathically replied to Tamamo, before placing her hand on the boulder. Her hands started releasing corrosive orange energy that began to eat into the seal.
"Sakura, your turn." Naruko stated before walking away from the boulder.
Sakura threw one punch, completely obliterating the massive boulder covering the entrance to the Akatsuki Hideout revealing the two Akatsuki members and what appeared to be the body of Gaara himself.
"Well well well if it isn't the cohorts from the Hidden Leaf," Deidara said mockingly. "And is that the Jinchuuriki of the Nine-Tails too, man we lucked out Sasori!"
"Enough of your foolishness Deidara we have work to do," Sasori growled as his eyes settled on Chiyo. "Ah Lady Chiyo what a surprise to see you still amongst the living."
"Not as big of a surprise as finding out you were still alive and working for a group as despicable as this Sasori," Chiyo replied with a frown. "How on earth are you even still alive after all this time?"
"We all have our secrets," Sasori replied with a frown before looking up at Deidara. "I suppose splitting them up would be for the best."
"Agreed I'll take the Nine-Tails brat and Kakashi Hatake so you can have your little family reunion, pinky doesn't look so tough but watch out for the Uchiha." Deidara said.
"Agreed," Sasori replied as Deidara summoned one of his giant clay birds which swallowed Gaara's body and flew out of the hideout.
"All right team, we have some work to do. Sakura, Sasuke assist Lady Chiyo as best you can," Kakashi said calmly as both of them nodded. "Naruko give them a paper tag with the counter for Sasori's poison."
"Easily done." Naruko said as she formed a paper and quickly inscribed the rune needed and placed a spell on the paper so it refreshes after every use.
"Alright then. Naruko follow my lead I have an idea," Kakashi said as he raised his headband to reveal his Sharingan.
"You plan on hitting him with a Genjutsu?" Naruko asked with an unamused look.
"No," Kakashi replied as Naruko watched the three tomoe begin to spin until they formed a new shape that appeared eerily similar to a windmill shuriken. "Mangekyou Sharingan!"
"Heh, I guess you aren't so hopeless after all Kakashi-Sensei" Naruko replied with a grin.
"You weren't the only one who trained these past three years Naruko. " Kakashi replied with his signature eye smile. "I need to concentrate too hit him with my signature move but I need you to keep him occupied. So go have fun Naruko." he told her with a smile.
"Hah, no need to tell me twice" Naruko said as she immediately summoned the armor Scathach gifted her with both Gae blog materializing in her hands.
"You want to save Gaara eh, come and get him!" Deidara laughed out as he flew off with Naruko flying after him and Kakashi running at high speeds.
Deidara unleashed a barrage of clay birds onto the pair with Naruko easily cutting through all of them as she kept on moving.
-With Sasuke, Sakura, and Lady Chiyo-
With Naruko and Kakashi in hot pursuit after Deidara. This left Sasuke, Sakura, and Lady Chiyo to face off against Sasori. His hunched form made no indication of any emotion simply content to stare at the three before him.
"Well, I suppose we should get this started, waiting around serves as little more as a distraction from my work," Sasori said as a large metallic tail emerged from underneath his cloak.
Sasuke laughed slightly at Sasori's disappointing KI. He had faced Alucard when she training him. His KI paled in comparison to hers. Even Shinobu who at moments was scarier than Alucard had put the fear of her into him.
"Sakura and I can take the lead for this fight, You can back us up Lady Chiyo. Is that ok?" Sasuke asked looking at Sakura with a smile.
"Very well but I have a request?" Lady Chiyo said getting a nod from Sasuke. "Before you kill Sasori, can you give me a minute to talk to him?"
"Of course, family is important. You can have your minute before we do the deed." Sasuke said before he took off his shirt.
"Sa-Sasuke why are you takin-" Sakura began to say before she saw the black markings that were spread across half of his body.
This mark was from mastering the curse mark Sasuke got from Orochimaru during the chunin exams. During the training trip, he had eliminated Orochimaru's lingering soul before weaponizing it for his use. Gaining new abilities and powers with it.
"We can talk about that later Sakura, but we got someone cruising for a bruising." Sasuke said with a smile.
"So it seems I have no choice but to fight since you've chosen to oppose me," Sasori growled. "You shall make a fine addition to my collection."
"Become part of his collection, Lady Chiyo does he have a weird fetish?" Sasuke asked looking back at her.
"Oh that's right I never did explain why Sasori was driven from the village did I," Chiyo sighed. "Where normal puppet users create their puppets from scratch Sasori delved into the forbidden arts long since outlawed across the Elemental Nations and converts the bodies of his victims into his puppets."
"That's sick" 'but not as sick as seeing Naruko devour an entire body whole when she's hungry' Sasuke thought.
"Shocking isn't it," Sasori cut in. "Truly one's work cannot be called art if it lacks the shock factor to gain notoriety can it?"
The cloak around Sasori fell away revealing his back making both Sakura and Sasuke look to Chiyo for another explanation.
"This isn't Sasori's true form it's simply just a puppet." Chiyo said with a grim look
"Hm, so he's like the villain in that show we once watched with Naruko. Always saying this wasn't his final form." Sasuke said with a nod.
"So where's the real body. I'm guessing in the poppet?" Sakura said looking at Lady Chiyo and getting a nod. "Well let's do this Sasuke, we don't have all day.
"Rather feisty aren't you two. You'll definitely make good puppets once I'm through with both of you." Sasori chimed in.
"We don't plan on dying here and becoming one of your fetish dolls." Sasuke said with a grin as both he and Sakura dashed at Sasori.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone