The Hokage's office.
Tsunade scanned the room. All of the members were almost here. There was of course, Shizune, right by her side with her pet pig, and Jiraya who was sitting in the corner, editing his newest volume, IchaIcha Retribution. Ibiki was standing about, muttering to himself and numerous guards were around the room. All were waiting for Kakashi.
"Why the heck does he have to be so late…" Tsunade said angrily.
"Fear not! For I am already here!" Kakashi poofed into the room. "Quite good timing if I do say so myself!"
"WE'VE BEEN WAITING MORE THAN AN HOUR!" Tsunade screamed.
"Geez!" Kakashi said as he sat down next to the table. The others sat down too. Tsunade, who was already sitting down to begin with, began to speak.
"Jiraya, have your sources indicated the status of Amegakure?"
"Yes. My spies say that Amegakure is in a civil war. The sides are unknown but one side seems to be lead by someone named 'Pein'." Tsunade nodded. Jiraya shifted uneasily, as if he remembered something.
"Anything else?"
"The Akatsuki seems to have captured the six tailed beast."
"Hmm. Ibiki, what do you make of this?" Ibiki paused before speaking.
"I believe that the Uzumaki boy is in trouble." Tsunade nodded again.
"Naruto has gone off on a mission to find Sasuke without my permission. His whereabouts are unknown. The idiot."
"The ignorance of youth." Ibiki piped in.
"Oh, Naruto will be fine." Kakashi interrupted. "He has matured greatly over the years and is an extraordinary ninja. Plus, he's with Sakura and Pakun."
"Yes, but Kakashi, that's not the poin-
Tsunade paused. "Say, Aren't you the only one who can summon Pakkun…" Kakashi smiled and tried to look innocent.
"BAKA!!" Tsunade said. Suddenly, one of the guards shifted.
"Tsunade- sama, there is something coming our way!"
"Wha-?"
"Wait! It just moved closer! It's coming right at us!!"
"I thought this might happen… We've been discovered!" Tsunade stood up. "Ninja's, into position! We are most likely dealing with Akatsuki!!" the Nin's instantly reacted, each grabbing weapons and getting into fighting a stance.
"Tsunade-sama- It's here! In this room!" the lights dimmed out. Tsunade, with her Kunai ready, looked about the room to try and indicate some sort of movement. She found it as it grabbed Kakashi by the neck.
"If any of you move, I kill kakashi." The figure stated. He wore a deep purple cloak and a black mask that covered every feature save his eyes. "Even if you twitch, I will not hesitate to crush his neck." Tsunade grimaced. This stranger was good.
"Now, I am going to ask some questions. I want only for Tsunade to answer them. Nod your heads if you understand." They all nodded in unison.
"Good. Okay, question one… Why do you have hemophobia?"
"Because my boyfriend, Dan and my brother, Nawaki." Tsunade said with sadness in her heart.
"Okay, Question two… If I told you that I killed both of them, how would you react?" Tsunade's heart skipped a beat.
"Did you really do that?" Tsunade said bitterly, anger rising from up inside her.
"Answer the question." The figure said from beneath his black mask.
"I would rip out your innards while you were still alive and torment you in the worst possible way I could!" Tsunade exclaimed.
"Hmm… Question three… what is my name?" Tsunade was taken aback. How was she supposed to know his name? She could only see the whites of his eyes, much less his face.
"You are Aizu, the nightmare." Ibiki said. Tsunade looked at him as if he were crazy. Aizu released Kakashi.
"Yep that's me. Long time no see eh Jiraya?"
"I'll say! Where the heck were you??" Jiraya exclaimed. Kakashi rubbed his neck.
"Sorry about that Kakashi, had to see if you all were really who you say you were. Never can be too careful."
"Oh, that's okay, I knew it was you all along." Tsunade put her hands on her hips.
"Well, it's about time you came back to Konoha!!" she said. "Speaking of which, I have a couple of questions for you…"
"As I suspected. Can I get some tea though? Haven't had any in a long time." Tsunade motioned for Shizune to get some tea. Everyone, including Aizu, sat back down at the table.
"Now it's my turn. Why have you been gone for three whole years?" Aizu sipped his tea.
"Well, first let me say that it is very hard being a spy for Akatsuki."
"Yes, that's why we sent you; for your superior sneaking abilities."
"Um, yeah about that… I got caught."
"YOU WHAT?? How the heck did that happen?!" Tsunade exclaimed.
"The Akatsuki member Tobi managed to figure out that my squirrel was holding a camera and traced its steps back to me."
"A squirrel?"
"I thought no one would suspect…"
"So you've been prisoner for Akatsuki for three whole years??" Jiraya murmured.
"Naw. But when they figured out I was a spy, relaying information back to Konoha for years, they were pretty pissed. I've been evading them these past two years."
"Wait, two years?"
"I spent the last year training."
"YOU DIDN'T COME TO US BECAUSE YOU HAD TRAINING TO DO?!" Tsunade roared.
"I have a good reason…"
"YEAH?!"
"If I came back, I would have had to listen to you yelling at me."
Tsunade tried very hard to resist the urge to slice his neck with the kunai she had in her hand. She barely overcame the feeling.
"Did you at least get information on Akatsuki?" Tsunade said.
"Ohhhhhhhh yesssssss…" Aizu said, eyes smiling.
"I have learned the identity of the leader. His name is Pein and he reigns from Amekagure.
"Pein… Jiraya, could that be the same Pein you mentioned?" Tsunade asked.
"It might be..." Jiraya said.
"I have even more disturbing information." Aizu said, all of attention on Jiraya. "There was one time where Itachi and Kisame came to the lair, after failing to capture Naruto some two years ago... the disturbing fact is, Pein referred to Jiraya as his mentor..."
Everyone stared at Jiraya. Jiraya closed his eyes.
"The only pupils I've ever had were the fourth Hokages team, and Naruto."
"Jiraya there was those people..." Tsunade said, flashing back to the past.
"Oh yeah! I was in Amegakure after the war, and I decided to help them recover. Along the way, I met up with... these three Amegakure orphans. thier names were Konan, Nagato and Yahiko." Jiraya said.
"I taught them the basics of Ninjutsu. after that, I left them to uncover thier own paths." Jiraya said. then he bolted upright.
"WAIT A MINUTE!! I remember something! my pupil, Nagato... when he was growing up, he always claimed that he wanted to save the world... But whenever he imagined himnself older and wiser... he reffered to himself as 'Pein. the savior of all'..." Jiraya stared, completely shocked.
"Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Pein just won the Civil war." Aizu said.
"What??" Everyone exclaimed.
"It couldn't be Nagato… he was so caring about everyone…" Jiraya murmured. "Aizu, what kind of ability did Pein use?"
"I couldn't get that information, but from what I heard from Konan, Pein unleashing his full might is without a doubt, invincible…" the group fell silent.
"Oh yeah! I saw his face as well." Aizu said from under his black mask. "He has Auburn hair, and... really wierd eyes... they're like concentric circles..."
"CONCENTRIC CIRCLES!?" Jiraya exclaimed. Everyone stared. Jiraya quickly regained his cool.
"Nope. Couldn't be Nagato." He quickly said. A silence fell with Tsunade breaking it.
"Regardless of whether this was the same Pein taught by Jiraya or not, we'd best be careful." The others nodded their heads.
"That reminds me…" Aizu spoke. "I have good news and bad news, which do you prefer to hear first?" Tsunade thought carefully.
"Bad news."
"Pein mentioned an attack on Konoha and is probably planning it as we speak."
"And the good news?"
"I believe I have found someone to help us defend from their attack…" Aizu reached from inside his cloak and pulled out a ball sized object.
"Well, Hello Hokage-sama." It said. The group was speechless.
"Sasori??" Kakashi said. The head of Sasori smiled.
"Yes. Well, some of me… only my head…"
"I know tensei-ninjutsu." Aizu said. He picked up Sasori and turned him upside down to reveal his heart inside his neck.
"See?" he put Sasori right side up on the table.
"And you did this, why?" Tsunade said as she looked angrily towards Sasori.
"Because Sasori has been wronged by the Akatsuki as well." Aizu replied. He motioned to Sasori.
"There was only one real reason that I joined the Akatsuki." Sasori explained. "They said that if I helped them capture all nine tailed beast, they would use the energy to bring my parents back to life…"
"They lied, didn't they?" Ibiki said.
"Tch. Through their teeth." Sasori said bitterly. "I offer to you my knowledge of Akatsuki as well as my services to obliterate them." Tsunade looked at Sasori hard, to determine if he was lying.
"Fine." Tsunade said.
"Good. Now, does anyone have an arm? It's very uncomfortable being surrounded by ninja's without my body…"
"Here's one; I picked it up along my way here." Aizu said, handing out a puppet arm. Sasori's head rolled and attached itself to the arm.
"Much better." Sasori began to walk away using his fingers.
Sakura: Sasuke! How could you!!