CHAPTER 3: A close call? Itachi and Kisame versus Orochimaru and Sasuke.

"The magnificent battle! The 'Akatsuki' against the Sound!"

"There" Orochimaru said, turning around and opening his mouth. An elongated snake-shaped tongue spawned out, ready to grab Itachi's foot. However, a low rumble that eventually grew louder stopped the Sannin in his tracks.

"Bakuha Kage Bunshin!" he realized, but it was too late as the Itachi clone blew up into a big explosion, violently pushing the retreating Orochimaru backwards. As if that was not enough, Itachi now appeared again in front of him.

"Katon: Goukakyou no Jutsu!" the words barely audible, the hand seal invisible to the naked eye. A huge burst of power blasted out of Konoha's first-class missing ninja, which Orochimaru barely managed to dodge. However, the sannin lost his balance and stumbled, falling off the cliff.

"That guy…" Sasuke whispered, gazing at that direction. "To finish Orochimaru like that…"

"Pay attention!" Kisame yelled, as the Samehada swiped, Sasuke barely dodging, but landing dangerously close to the cliff's edge. "Or you'll share his fate!"

"Damn… those guys…" Sasuke dropped his arm, his palm facing downwards.

"Chidori!"

Chakra in the form of pure lightning erupted out of his open hand. Bringing it to the side, and letting out a wild howl, Sasuke charged against his shark-like opponent.

---scene change---

"Hey Tsunade-baa-chan! Tsunade-baa-chaaaaaaaaaan!" The impatient blonde boy yelled in front of the Godaime Hokage, who was busy with her usual paperwork "It's time you sent us to a new mission already!"

Slowly veins seemed to buldge in Tsunade's forehead, who was obviously preoccupied with something important which was interrupted by Naruto's yelling. Clenching her pen, a small crack soon appeared along it, before it broke to pieces.

"Na… Naruto… I think we'd better get going" Sakura whispered, sweat running all over her face.

Most of the villagers in Konoha had to close her ears as a deafening shout shook the earth, scaring nearby birds and animals away.

"YOU IDIOT! DO YOU THINK YOU ARE THE ONLY THING I HAVE IN MY MIND ALL THE TIME? I HAVE MORE IMPORTANT THINGS TO DO THAN BOTHER MYSELF CONSTANTLY WITH YOU AND YOUR HYPER-ACTIVENESS!"

Naruto, who had cowered away from the Godaime's rage, along with his teammates, tried to patch up things, but it was in vain. "Tsunade-baa-chan… I only wanted to…"

"SILENCE!" Tsunade yelled, jumping forwards from her desk and aiming for a direct punch against Naruto's forehead. The Hokage's legendary fist, which had the power to bring down a sturdy stone wall, made direct contact, however, Naruto exploded in a puff of smoke.

"Huh? A kage bunshin?" Tsunade said in wonder. Then she suddenly broke into laughter. "That kid…"

---somewhere away---

"Fuuton: Oodama Rasengan!"

Naruto was kneeling on the ground, his fist slammed into it. Small cracks had spawned from all around the impact point, but they only extended for a few inches.

"Damn… still not enough power." Naruto said in frustration.

If one could slowly hover upwards above the boy, he would be able to slowly watch an immense crater unfold itself, the size of a large meteor strike, with Naruto standing at the bottom, had ripped everything around the area to shreds.

---scene change---

The huge white sword came down, slashing through the Chidori Sasuke was aiming to strike Kisame with. Strangely enough, the electrical sphere seem to fade and vanish, leaving only Sasuke's charred palm.

"What the…?" however, before the question was even complete in Sasuke's mind, a direct kick sent him flying backwards. The young shinobi lost his balance and fell off the cliff.

"So much for them then." Kisame said, while he placed the Samehada, which made a burbing sound, across his back. Itachi simply remained silent.

Suddenly, the top of a brown, foiled snake became visible ascending towards the sky. On the peak of its head stood Orochimaru and Sasuke, their arms crossed.

"Not yet." Orochimaru chuckled mockingly, as another similar snake spawned out of the ground, catching Itachi with its tail and squeezing him.

"How about that?" Sasuke yelled, while jumping downwards, drawing a kunai from his belt and tossing it.

"Damn… that thing the sword did to me… I can't control my chakra. I have to stall until it is restored." Sasuke tossed two more kunais. Though Kisame easily dodged all three of them, somehow they seemed to change course, two of them turning back and stabbing the kirigakure shinobi's arms, and one stacking between the scales of the Samehada.

"Got you now." Sasuke grinned, as three thin, white cords became visible, one of their edges attached to Sasuke's hands and the other tied to the kunais. Doing a circular hand movement, the ropes tied Kisame, immobilizing him and his arms.

"Ah… it's getting there." Sasuke thought, as he brought his hands together.

"Katon: Ryuuka no Jutsu!"

Crimson and gold erupted out of Sasuke's body, quickly traversing through the cords and engulfind Kisame's body in a pillar of flames. Orochimaru grinned, seeing as both of them had the Akatsuki cornered.

---scene change---

A desperate howl of a wounded beast echoed around the mountains, before silence fell.

Kakashi and Hidan stared at the vast weasel that was lying on the floor, numerous wounds across its body, jolts of electricity still sparking around it.

"Our job here is done" a slightly panting Kakashi said. "Let's go."

---scene change---

A large crashing sound and a cloud of dust and debris shrouded the sound shinobis' perception. Once the area cleared, Orochimaru's snake that had captured Itachi was now flailing wildly at the ground, numerous wounds across its body as if something had exploded right next to it.

"Another Bakuha Kage Bunshin!" Orochimaru exclaimed. But then… where…"

"You live up to your reputation as a Sannin" the cold, nightmarish voice sounded behind Orochimaru, who rapidly turned back, to face the Uchiha. "Perhaps I should draw the notch higher than I thought."

At the same time, a fountain of water blasted around the flames that were consuming Kisame, rapidly putting them out and raising a cloud of steam that merged with the slight haze of the morning sky.

"Huh." Sasuke said indifferently. "As expected from one of Kiri's strongest shinobigatana."

Kisame, unharmed, smirked. "Heh. Same I can say for you… as one of the Uchiha, Konoha's strongest clan. However…"

"It ends here!" Kisame yelled, performing a rapid hand seal. "Suiton: Bakusui Shouha!"

Kirigakure's strongest ninja inhaled, then exhaled spitting a huge quantity of water all around them. Sasuke planted his katana to the ground to prevent himself from being carried down the cliff by the raging wave.

Kisame chuckled, another hand seal nearly ready. "Suiton: Goshokuzame!" Now that the field had been set, Kisame could use one of his most powerful water techniques. Instantly, five huge waves in the form of a shark jumped upwards, crashing all over Sasuke.

For a moment, it appeared as if the Uchiha had been drowned, or killed by the pressure of the water mass. Then…

"Fool. That was a mistake you won't live to regret."

"What?" Kisame exclaimed, his eyes widening in shock, as from inside the water dome, something began glowing.

"Chidori Nagashi!"

The electricity discharged from Sasuke's Chidori conducted through the water that had drenched the area, slamming Kisame's body with a strong electrical jolt. Half-paralyzed, Kisame dropped to the ground, to see Sasuke emerge from the fountain he had created, water dripping all over his body, a brutal expression on the Sharingan, the cursed seal blazing red once again.

His sword held forwards, Sasuke approached the shark-man. "Yes."

"It ends here." He said as he prepared to pierce Kisame's body with his kusanagi. However, at the last moment, the Akatsuki brought up his own sword, blocking the kusanagi with Samehada's scales. Sasuke's expression still remained indifferent, as the sword magically blasted forwards, piercing through Samehada and through Kisame's shoulder.

A cry of pain echoed through the battlefield, as Kisame was wounded.

"I'll… make you… pay…" Kisame growled. The pain surging through his body was nothing to the Akatsuki, compared to the humiliation of someone actually drawing blood from him. He slowly got up to his feet, ready to attack Sasuke.

"Kisame." Itachi suddenly said. "We shall leave. The Rokubi has been captured."

For a moment, Kisame seemed as if he would object, however, he sighed, glaring at Sasuke.

"Next time… runt." He said as he prepared to disappear in the distance.

"WAIT!" Sasuke yelled. "YOU ARE NOT GOING ANYWHERE!" With those words, he charged forwards. "CHIDORI!"

Once more, the howl of thunder in Sasuke's hands roared as he brought the Chidori towards Itachi's face. However, it pierced only feather and wood, as Itachi's replacement technique allowed him to get out of the way.

"Foolish little brother…" the cold voice whispered right behind Sasuke, a strong elbow slam knocking him half-unconscious to the ground.

The two Akatsuki vanished on the spot.

Next chapter: Deidara on the move! How will Konoha's best scouting team fare against the feared master of explosives?