Konoha was in ruin. Smoke spiraled lazily upward from the stew of toppled buildings and rotting corpses. And in the middle stood Pein.

"It's truly a good feeling," he laughed, "to know that you've won." Konan nodded, trying not to cry. Even in her hardened state, seeing all the dead and dying around her was dreadful. The children. The grandmas and grandpas. A baby cried on top her mother' chest, begging for food, but was given no reply.

"We didn't have to go so far," Konan said. "We didn't have to destroy this whole place for that one boy!" Tears began to stream down her face.

"Maybe not," Pein smiled, "but it's too late to change what has been done." He held a long spear that stretched up far into the air. And punctured through the chest, a fifteen year-old boys corpse waved weakly in the wind. His blonde hair was stained with blood, and his orange outfit was still dripping with sweat from the battle. "I finally got you, you little bastard," Pein cackled. "How's it feel, nine tails!? How's it feel to be on the losing side for once? Doesn't feel good, does it, you fucking little worm!"

"Stop," Konan said quietly, "please, Pein, stop."

"Fine, fine," he grinned. Slowly, the man turned his head to the sky. "I think a little change in scenery is in order." Instantly, dark clouds began to circle the ruins. And within a minute, torrential rain was pouring down, creating pools of muck and blood. Small rivers began to form, washing debris past the pair. A wooden sign reading Ichiraku Ramen drifted past Pein, lighlty bumping his sandal.

Kisame jogged up to Pein hurriedly, beads of water forming on his sky blue skin. "The village is definetly secured sir. I've found the only survivor."

Zetsu busrt from the ground. "Yes, but I assume some of the intelligent shinobi fled the scene."

"Quite possible." Pein murmered, "But if they were msart enough to flee, they'll be smart enough not to come back."

Deidara swooped down on his clay owl. "I've got a survivor, master."

"The only survivor?" Zestu mocked Kisame.

"Shut up, you two-faced ass!" the shark-man roared.

"Enough, enough." Pein said calmly. Normaly, he would have scolded them. But not now. They had helped him perform his amazing feat. He couldn't have done it with out them. Easily.

Sasori, Hidan, and Kakuzu all trudged over, mud splattering the red clouds on their cloaks. "We've got a survivor!" Hidan bragged. Kisame scowled in anger.

"Plus 5,000,000,000 ryo!" Kakuzu threw a wooden chest at Pein's feet. He'd never looked so happy.

Sasori's red hair slicked to his face. "Haven't seen you out of your shell for a while," Konan comented.

"This 'Mighty Gay' bastard shattered Hiruko. Freaking ass-wipe in green spandex."

"And then what?" Kisame asked, although he knew the answer.

"The twit took a little swimming lesson. In his own blood." Sasori grinned venemously.

"Nice!" Hidan laughed. "I didn't see much action. I did score a Hyuga kid. No more then seventeen, I'd guess. And some blonde-haired bitch who looked a bit younger."

"We could've done better if you didn't have to pray for an hour every time you killed somebody." Kakuzu killed. "The only blood my hands saw were that of a little twelve year-old twerp and his two companions. He kept going on about 'the blood of a Hokage' surging through him. Stopped babbling once I got his throat."

Deidara held up two fingers. "Two for me. A guy who called himself Ebisu. And some fat ass Choza Amichi. How 'bout you Zetsu, hmm?"

"I didn't fight. I was the one toppling the buildings from underground. Once you find the foundations they go down like toothpicks. Konan?"

"I was sent to murder Tsunade-sensei, the Hokage."

"Did you?" Sasori asked.

"What do you think!" she snapped. Killing one of her former sensei's hadn't been a memorable experience.

"Pein?" Hidan raised his eyebrows. Pein propped the spear against a still standing wall and held out his arms.

"Who do you think got all these civillians. Plus about every shinobi you didn't round up. That leaves you Kisame."

"I scored some precious little brainiac with a ponytail. And lost a fucking hand in the process!" he held out a bloody stump. "Plus, two Jonins who called each other Asuma and Kurenai. And this teenage bitch with more weapons then she could control."

Deidara whistled. "Right on, shark-boy. Way to rack up the kills! That's artistic right there!"

Kisame grinned smugly. "Just doing my job. How about you Itach-" he paused. All the Akatsuki took a double take around the wet group.

"ITACHI!" bellowed Kisame, starting to cry. Why did he care? That Uchiha bastard had always given him hell? But he couldn't stop. "ITACHI!"

Among the ruin, a tattered cloak with red clouds drifted down the gowing river. Kisame lifted it with Samehad tenitively. Bloodstains decorated the garment.

"Oh no," Deidara sounded genuinely concerned.

"Don't give it a second thought," Pein ordered. "It was a small price to pay. Madara will be pleased, even at the coast of a distant relative's death. And besides, we have won a trophy that would have made Itachi proud." He gestured upwards. Squinting through the rain, the Akatsuki stared at the spear that they hadn't noticed. There were several moments of awed silence before Kakuzu started chuckling.

"Never thought I'd see the day," Sasori whispered, "Uzamaki Naruto is dead."