Red eyes, touched by triplicate black tomoe, watched with sadistic delight. The three Leaf and two Sand ninjas hopped and dodged frantically around the valley below, while the One-Tail Tanuki lashed out at them with sadistic joy. Still cloaked in the form of Sasuke Uchiha, Orochimaru watched their desperate struggle from the cliff far above, unhindered by the lingering jutsu that prevented most shinobi from adhering to the rock with their chakra. Of course, he was the one who had created the technique, during his tenure with the Akatsuki, so he knew how to bypass it.
The body thief took a few steps closer, making sure to stay outside the glow of the floodlights. The Sharingan did not have the same distance as the Byakugan, and he wanted to get a first-rate view of the battle.
"Not good," Shikamaru barely kept his bland tone of voice as he jumped backwards.
"No, no, it's very good, little monkey," the sand demon rumbled happily, "I thought I'd never get to see my beloved older siblings again, and now here they are."
He lifted his right forepaw and pointed it at Temari. A tendril of dust shot towards the young woman, who quickly pulled her fan over her shoulder and blocked the attack. But the sand kept flowing, pressing against her weapon, and starting to wrap around it to grab her. Shikamaru jumped forward, slicing through the sand with a pair of kunai. No longer connected to main body, the One-Tails' silicate dropped to the stone below, and the young couple separated and moved back.
Kankuro had used the initial exchange to free his four puppets from their scroll. He held Black Ant and Salamander close, while sending Crow and Moon out to slash at the demon's other front leg. Though they were able to dislodge a few small lumps of sand, Shukaku just look down at them with joyful disbelief, and then kicked them back at their controller.
"You two are the smart ones," the puppeteer shouted at his sister and her boyfriend, as he forced his marionettes back to their feet, "What's the plan?"
"Don't look at me," Shikamaru groused in response, "You two know more about this monster than we do. What even works on it? I'm guessing earth and lightning jutsus are out of the question."
Temari nodded, while Ino barely avoided the tanuki's tail. Choji punched with his enlarged fists, but the sand absorbed the impact almost gently, and Shukaku snorted. He sent out a blade of sand, which the big Chunin rolled away from, however in the process he took a deep cut in his left shoulder.
"Lightning does nothing," the elder blond agreed, "Neither does fire. Earth jutsus can knock off parts of Shukaku if the technique is powerful enough, but it's much easier to do with wind. And a large enough water jutsu can slow him down, but doesn't hurt him."
"Then what do you suggest?" Shikamaru grunted in annoyance.
"Wind and water attacks until we can escape," she shot back, "Unless you know a sealing expert?"
"Yeah, two of them," the genius smiled ironically, "But neither one is here."
"Wait, why doesn't fire work?" Ino asked. She had finished tending to Choji, and the both of them narrowly dodged another giant kick.
"He's a desert spirit made of sand," Kankuro couldn't keep the touch of mockery from his voice, "a little heat doesn't bother him."
"But what about a lot of heat?" the Leaf Kunoichi countered, "Both Sakura and Hinata told me that during the Sound liberation, Kankuro fought Gaara by fusing his sand into glass, which Gaara couldn't control. Can Shukaku control glass?"
"That could work," Temari admitted, with a hopeful glance at Shikamaru. But her boyfriend didn't share her optimism.
"Yeah, but where are we going to get enough fire power to fuse this guy solid?" he asked.
"You guys are from the Land of Fire!" Kankuro yelled, " Aren't your leaders always rambling on about 'The Will of Fire'. You should know all kinds of fire arts."
"Not us," Choji shook his head ruefully, "Ino and I both know a few minor techniques, but this team is mostly earth style, with some water thrown in. What about you?"
"I'm air, and Kankuro is earth," the elder sister added.
"We need Kiba or Tenten," Shikamaru complained, "Or even Shino."
"Are you done down there?" the Bijuu asked, and they all suddenly realized he had not been attacking.
"Because I'd like to get back to killing you now," Shukaku's statement seemed to be directed at the five teens, but the monster kept looking back over his shoulder at the wall.
Amusing though it was to watch them try to formulate a plan, Orochimaru had a different reason for returning to the Canyon of Dawn. So, reluctantly, he turned his attention away from the fight against the demon, and continued down the valley at a brisk trot. The Leaf renegade saw a burst of blue fire rise above the edge of the middle passage, and splash of green water flow over the southern ravine, and he shook his head in shocked amusement. The snake summoner would not have expected Pein to unleash three of the Bijuu to guard one base. But there could only be one reason such a large group of Leaf and Sand ninjas were attacking this fortress, the Akatsuki had finally captured the Nine-Tails Fox. The thought worried him slightly; he wondered how close his old allies were to completing their plans. And then he immediately started run through his mind ways to use this to his advantage. He had already allowed the Leaf to have Itachi's final report on the Akatsuki's movements. Though he wanted the conflict to continue, he could not think of a way it would benefit him to rescue the boy. And killing him was too much of a risk; the demon might escape.
Orochimaru passed a few dozen mid-level Akatsuki soldiers, apparently backup in case the invaders escaped the monsters. None of the retrained bandits looked up, confident that no one could bypass that particular defense.
'I guess they didn't think I would come back,' Orochimaru whispered to the soul of Sasuke Uchiha. But the trapped teen did not acknowledge him, and the rogue Sannin returned his attention to his infiltration. The entrance to the citadel was just ahead, and the snake angled downward on the wall until he reached the bottom of the ancient lakebed. He crept along the wall, his skill rendering him invisible to all but the sharpest eyes. Not that anyone was looking in his direction.
Outside the massive steel doors was a familiar face. Deidara watched the three chasms with a look of annoyed indifference. Orochimaru padded forward, passing within eight feet of his former ally. He wanted to laugh, wondering how someone with a total lack of stealth and perception ever became an elite ninja. The serpent briefly considered murdering the explosives expert, but decided now was not the time to play. He was there for a reason, and getting discovered this early would only hinder his goal. Instead, he did something else he knew the Akatsuki believed to be impossible; he used the Body Flicker Technique to bypass the door, reappearing inside the entrance hall. The Leaf traitor brought the floor plan of the building up from his memory, and started plotting the most likely places his target might be.
"Ino hit him with you best water techniques, and then Temari, tear him apart with your wind," Shikamaru ordered, throwing three kunai at the demon. Each knife had a paper bomb around its handle, and the explosions blasted off sections of Shukaku's stomach and left rear leg.
"It's tickles," the monster tanuki giggled, and his tail swept over the dislodged sand, reabsorbing it. The two women quickly began to follow the genius's direction, Ino launched into a string of hand signs, while Temari summoned Kamatari to double her wind power.
"What about us?" Choji asked. Kankuro nodded his agreement for the sentiment.
"There isn't much we can do right now," Shikamaru told him, "Defend the girls, and if you have any paper bombs, try to help take him apart."
But he also caught Kankuro's eyes, and indicated the Jonin should close ranks.
"What?" the Sand warrior whispered as they closed ranks around Temari.
"Suiton: Hand of Waves!" Ino completed the technique, and fired a jet of water at the demon. His light brown material absorbed the liquid, turning darker. The leg she hit moved sluggishly, and the lash of sand he sent after the Kunoichi in response only scraped Choji's arm slightly when he intercepted it.
"There is no way the Akatsuki would just turn one of the Bijuu loose," the apathetic Chunin answered the puppeteer's question, "They have to have someway to prevent the demon from escaping, or maybe even a way to control him. And I'm guessing whoever is holding that leash is close by. While we keep the One-Tails busy, you find his handler."
Kankuro nodded with an impressed grin, and darted away from Shukaku's outstretched paw, towards the opposite side of the ravine.
"Double Cutting Whirlwind," the Kazekage's sister proclaimed, as she swung her fan and her weasel familiar swung his scythe. Translucent blades of wind chakra shot towards the lowest of the Bijuu, slicing clean through his left front leg. The monster collapsed, but he fell on the disconnected sand, pulling it back into his body and reforming the destroyed limb.
"Suiton: Hand of Waves!"
"Partial Expansion Jutsu!"
Ino drenched Shukaku again, and Choji hammered the monster down with both enlarged hands. The demon's body pulled in Akimichi's fists, and started to crush them. The large warrior canceled his jutsu, returning his limbs to normal size before the demon could render them unusable. Despite his quick action, Choji's fists were moderately injured
"This would be a lot more fun if I was at full strength," the demon complained, as he sent spikes of sand after Temari, Shikamaru, and Kamatari. As the wind chakra experts were engaged in crafting another jutsu, Shikamaru had to push Temari out of the way, and then he scooped up Kamatari in his arms as he dove to the side. But the delay cost him, and the cloud admirer took a serious hit to his back, stripping skin and muscle nearly to the bone. The Shadow user landed in a crouching position, taking the strain to his legs to avoid falling on his damaged back.
"Shikamaru!" Ino shouted.
"I'm fine, stay there. Keep up the plan," he ordered her, gritting his teeth through the pain. Kamatari hopped down, but looked back at the injured human.
"Thanks, kid," the weasel offered.
Despite being shoved, the Sand Kunoichi was able to finish her jutsu, and she destroyed the projections that had attacked them, while carving a few furrows into Shukaku's belly.
Kankuro darted around the edge of the canyon, until he felt a queasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. It was the miasma of the One-Tails, but he was too far from the beast to feel it directly. The middle child turned away from the demon, following the trail in the other direction. But the trail ended at the rock face, and the puppeteer began a jutsu to search for signs of concealment. Before he could complete his technique, a fist appeared from the wall and clocked him in the jaw. Kankuro felt some of his teeth loosen in their sockets as he forced himself back upright. He drew his constructs back for a counterattack, but was too slow. The teen gaped in recognition of the face that emerged from the stones, and was knocked back by a powerful kick. He landed nearly twenty feet away, right next to his sister and her boyfriend.
"Temari, it's Shima," Kankuro grumbled, forcing himself up on one shoulder to view his attacker. The man appeared to be in his late twenties or early thirties. He had sandy blond hair, and his navy blue eyes were covered by reinforced goggles. The Akatsuki aspirant wore light robes of tan and brown silk, and his hands were empty. The belt at his waist had a Hidden Sand shield, marred by the Akatsuki's rough slash through the insignia. Shima took another half step forward, smiling slightly at them.
"Who?" Ino demanded, moving to check on Kankuro, and Shikamaru's back while she was at it.
"Shima was a Jonin from the Sunagakure," Temari explained, "But he quit the village, because he refused to accept Gaara as the Kazekage."
"What a hassle," Shikamaru noted, "But now that we've found him... Ino?"
The young woman looked up from her counterfeit medical examination, creating a loop with her hands and stating, "Ninja Art: Mind Transfer Jutsu."
Shima did not even react, and a few moments later Ino cried out in pain and terror. The mentalist healer fell backwards from her crouching position onto her butt. Shikamaru frowned at her for an instant, and then returned his attention to the renegade. Shima was still just far enough outside the floodlight's perimeter that the Nara clan member could not use his Shadow techniques. His paramour had no such limitations, however.
"Wind Scythe Jutsu," she intoned. But again the Sand traitor did not react. The blades of air struck him, and his surface cracked, and some dust blew off of him. But the next instant the cracks sealed, and his appearance was unmarred.
"I have taken a page from your beloved Kazekage's book," Shima noted, "I have a layer of Shukaku's body covering me as armor. Miss Yamanaka's attempt to invade my mind thrust her into the demon's psyche instead."
"Speaking of me, aren't you forgetting something!" the monster tanuki roared, sending dozens of spears of sand at the closely grouped shinobi.
He tapped his fingers on the table. He was not concerned about the battle; sending out the first three Bijuu was overkill, even as a show of power. No, he was worried that he had let the persona of Tobi slip too far in making the decision. The look Deidara had given him told Madara his 'senior' was suspicious. Or more accurately, more suspicious than he had been previously.
Still, the bomb artist had always been a borderline liability to the Akatsuki due to his rebellious and destructive nature. His usefulness was limited, and Madara would have been more than happy to remove the firebug. If the three replacements he had chosen succeeded, the Akatsuki would be able to absorb the loss of Deidara. Madara could make Mayuko Tobi's partner, in more ways than one, and assign Shima and Daisuke as the fourth team.
Despite having worked through his concerns, Madara continued to drum the table. It was the sort of nervous tic Tobi might display when forced to lead a major battle. His acting was rewarded when the door burst open. But instead of a messenger, one of the guards flew backwards into the makeshift command center. He landed on the table, quite dead. Tobi leapt to his feet in surprise, when a familiar face strode through the door.
"Orochimaru-senpai?" the masked ninja asked in confusion, upon seeing Sasuke's face, "What are you doing here?"
The stolen Sharingan observed him for a moment, and then the invader burst into laughter, Orochimaru's voice issuing from Sasuke's lips.
"Is this his last revenge, trying to trick me into confronting you?" Orochimaru asked himself, "Or was he truly unaware of how close his target was?"
"I don't know where Madara is," Itachi shuddered in pain, as his brother's hijacked face leaned in close, "If I did, one of us would already be dead."
"But you have a suspicion," Orochimaru purred, "I heard your whole conversation with my old friend; you must think you are close, to want to stay undercover at this late stage of the game."
The double agent wanted to tell the snake where he could go, and what to do when he got there. But another part of him, the very Uchiha part, wanted revenge against his villainous ancestor at almost any cost.
"Tobi," Itachi finally relented, "He was inducted into the Rings with no testing. And Lord Pein tries to hide it, but he always defers to Tobi or agrees with his plans. I think Tobi is Madara's mole, inserted in our ranks to keep a closer eye on us."
"Good boy," Orochimaru congratulated him, "And now as promised, your reward. Amaterasu."
"You can drop the act, Madara," Orochimaru said conversationally, "That doesn't fool me. I recognize your movements, especially now."
He tapped the left side of his borrowed face right next to his red eye.
"You already have the Sharingan active?" Madara mocked, dropping the pretense and removing Tobi's spiral mask, "Did you have that much trouble getting here?"
"Oh no," the snake shook his head, "I have trained this body to the point where the first stage of the Sharingan is my default mode. I actually have to expend chakra now to suppress it, when I need to look normal."
Madara looked impressed in spite of himself.
"So why are you here, Orochimaru?" the first Uchiha asked in false civility.
"You have something I desire," the Sannin answered honestly, "And I am here to get it."
"You plan to steal from me?" Madara's response was incredulous.
"Not steal," the former ring bearer countered evenly, "It is knowledge that I want you to share, and I am prepared to offer something of value in return."
The Akatsuki leader's eyes widened, and he indicated his former ally should continue.
"You possess the one thing I want most in this world, the secret of immortality. It is the main reason I acquired this body."
Madara blinked in amazement, and then his face turned dark.
"I don't think so," the immortal countered, "Aside from the fact you killed the last two members of my family, I don't need the competition."
"You abandoned your family decades ago," Orochimaru disagreed smoothly, " And what competition? You want to rule the world, and I want to master every jutsu; and we both want to see the Konohagakure burn. Our goals are not incompatible."
Madara shrugged to concede the point, but his face still looked deadly.
"Nevertheless, there is nothing you can offer that is worth sharing that power."
"Not even my services?" the body-thief offered smugly, "Give me the secret to eternal life, and I shall happily rejoin the Akatsuki. Having an immortal ally with my knowledge and power could only benefit you."
"As if I could trust you," Madara said coldly, his eyes boring through the snake, "But for the sake of the current operation, I will allow you to go in peace. Leave."
"Now that is a problem," Orochimaru was unperturbed. His eyes transformed, the tomoe transforming into daggers pointing at his pupils.
"If you will not share this power with me willingly, I will have to extract it from you, by any means necessary."
The sound of birds filled the room, and the whites of Madara's eyes turned jet black.
Salamander and Black Ant tumbled free from the attack. Salamander's compartment opened when it hit the side of the valley, spilling out Temari, Shikamaru, and Kamatari. After Ant stopped rolling, his doors were quickly pushed open from the inside, and Ino extracted herself.
"Expansion Jutsu!" roaring with rage, Choji grew until he was roughly the same size as the demon. He charged forward, body-slamming Shukaku into the wall, knocking the sand monster away from Kankuro. At the same time, Kamatari pragmatically began to send wind blades at the tanuki again. Shukaku sent more barbs of dust at Choji, who took a few hits but was able to shatter most of them with his enhanced strength. The One-Tails struck out again, shaping his paw into a hammer, and knocked Akimichi into the battlements. As Choji pulled himself to his feet, he coughed once, and blood wet his lips. With the enlarged human temporarily disposed of, the demon fired gobs of sand at the weasel, willing to briefly lose control of the silicate to try to eliminate the small annoyance.
The other three shinobi rushed over to the puppet wielder. As they approached, Shikamaru recognized the remains of Crow, shattered into a thousand pieces. The two women knelt over the Sand Jonin, and despite her training, Ino almost vomited. Kankuro's torso and limbs were riddled with dust covered stab wounds, leaking blood across his uniform, staining the black material red. Most of the makeup on the right side of his face had been scoured away, and the skin underneath was scratched and bleeding. The medic swallowed her bile, and started to try to heal him. But the damage was too great. Ino recognized that even if she had Tsunade, Shizune, and Sakura with her, they still might not be enough.
"Heh," Kankuro coughed hollowly, "Just like I always expected..."
He gasped again, and then stopped breathing. Ino turned her attention to his heart and lungs, but the medical jutsu was not up to the task. She looked over at her friend with tears in her eyes.
"I'm sorry, Temari," Ino said sadly, reaching up to close Kankuro's eyes. The Kazekage's sister did no respond. Her eyes were red and wet, but they were filled with a hateful gaze. She stood slowly, deliberately, and spread her fan to its widest configuration. She turned back towards Shima with murderous intent.