And Darkness Prevails

Chapter ? – Akatsuki

Young Sasori sat on his floor, manipulating a small doll with chakra. He couldn't remember much about his parents… just that they'd been killed by some really strong people, that they were good ninjas, and that they both used puppet techniques.

His only strong memory of his parents was of his mother using the same doll he was playing with now to entertain him as a toddler. He'd been amused by the jumping and the dancing puppet. In reality, however, she also used her puppet ninjutsu to kill, poison, capture, and maim her enemies.

Until some rogue killed both of his parents. Even though it had happened to Sasori when he was quite young, he'd never fully gotten over it. Sure, he still had a loving grandmother to take care of him, but it wasn't the same.

As he played with the puppet, he heard a door creak open behind him. "Oh, Sasori… I see you've mastered the basics…" she was taken aback, as well she should be.

He wasn't even enrolled in elementary school, and he was already using chakra strings to move objects, and moving them with coordinated finesse. And, on top of all that, she hadn't even been attempting to teach him puppet jutsu.

"Hmm… I have a present for you."

That was the day he got his first life-sized puppet. It was somewhat human-shaped, but when you looked at the face, you could tell it wasn't… It was just a puppet. It looked like a puppet, felt like a puppet, didn't move like a person…

But, if you could alter its face… and put a synthetic skin on top of the wood… and move it as if it were human…

What would be the difference between the puppet and a person?

Sasori was sixteen and the pride of the small village of Suna. The entire village wasn't large at all, and was so small in comparison to villages such as the Cloud and the Grass that the only reason they were still surviving was the desert that separated them from the County of Fire.

He was in the middle of a reconnaissance mission with a three-man team, an attempt to map out one of the neighboring ninja villages. However, on the way to leave the County of Wind, a large desert storm separated him from the rest of the team.

He'd been by himself for about a half day when a mysterious figure approached him. The sandstorm seemed to dissipate around him, like he was the eye of the storm that couldn't touch him.

"Who are you?" Sasori demanded. The man was creepy-looking, with dark hair and glowing red eyes. Sasori was ready to fight, even though he would probably lose in the middle of such a storm.

"The important question is who you are," the man responded. His voice made it seem like the statement was a riddle, but he continued, "If you are who I am seeking, you could be a considerable investment for me to collect. Is your name… Sasori?"

Sasori pulled himself into a fighting stance. "Perhaps. Either way, you'll have to defeat me to get any further." He thrust his hands out towards the intruder and began maneuvering a human-shaped puppet, one infused with hundreds of poisonous projectiles and hidden weapons.

The man made a sweeping motion with his hand in the direction of the puppet, and suddenly, Sasori's chakra strings dissipated, and he no longer had control over the puppet.

"Please. You are worth so much more than these silly dolls," the man purred, as if amused by Sasori's attempts. He disappeared into the sand, melding into the storm. A second later, Sasori heard the voice in his ear. "You know the monsters that have been attacking your fellow villagers?"

Sasori grabbed a poison-tipped needle from his belt pouch and sent it flying in the direction of the voice.

"I can make you one of them," the voice continued. Sasori sent another three in the new direction.

"I can make you stronger than you could imagine…" the voice hissed. Sasori moved to throw a few new needles, but paused at that. "And all it costs is your soul. Hell, I'll even keep your village protected."

"What happened to the dead villagers?" Sasori demanded. He needed to know what had been the fate of his deceased mother and father.

"The villagers? Our food… is human blood. Can you live with killing to live?"

"I already do."

"Shall I make you my next meal, or my new partner?"

Sasori threw the needles into the dirt. "Do what you have to do to make me stronger."

He didn't realize it until just then, but he no longer cared about the death of his parents. They were just people, like everyone else. They knew what they were getting into when they signed up to protect Suna. And, more importantly, they deserved it.

One or both of them should have quit so that they could raise him correctly. They should have sacrificed their work for his sake. But neither of them cared enough to do such a thing.

That was the thought that he held onto as Madara Uchiha's fangs pierced his neck.

"Here is the charter," Sasori handed the new leader of Suna a list of rules. Kankarou glanced through the list, silently accepting the rules and guidelines.

"So, what, basically the rules are that we can't harm any ninja from Suna, and we have to listen to you guys, no matter what?"

"That is the agreement," Sasori said with a small nod. "You may choose victims from either the civilian population of Suna, or from other villages."

"We don't have much of a connection to any other village," Temari cut in, "Would we really want to start a war over food?"

"If you happen to start a skirmish between Suna and another village, the Akatsuki shall undoubtedly support Suna."

"If you don't mind my asking, what is the reason for your organization's attachment to Suna?" Temari leaned in as she asked the question. Her tone was professional, and her stance was submissive but confident. Sasori had no doubt that she, while she wasn't given the title of leader, would undoubtedly be the head of diplomacy.

"Our other members either have completely cut off ties with their village, or have never had an affiliation. Our connection is purely coincidental in that I was the first member who had a preference, and as I originated from Suna, I made the request."

"So, you are the Sasori of legend?" Kankarou whispered. "The puppet-master… the one who disappeared during a mission, and who was assumed to have either died in the sandstorm or been killed by the monsters who plagued our village?"

Sasori gave a small sardonic smirk. "Both. I both died in that storm and was killed by the monster that plagued our village… But the difference is the monster allowed me to be born again. I am no longer the puppet-master… I am now the vampire."

"He is… interesting," Konan offered as they stared at the soon-to-be newest member of the Akatsuki.

"He has attained immortality without the means we have used," Pein explained, circling the stitched-together Kazuku. "He has explained the method to me, and I still am not entirely sure how it works."

"Do you require blood to survive?" Sasori leaned onto his palms, somewhat intrigued, but still barely more interested than he was in his dolls. He was almost done making that new puppet…

Kazuku scoffed. "As I have said before, I am not a vampire; I am immortal. I don't even require regular food to survive… just hearts and a large amount of chakra."

"Well, welcome to the team, at any rate," Konan said before walking away. "Pein, have you spoken to Madara about him yet?"

"Who do you think recommended this, my flower?"

Konan responded with an affirmative sound before she strode forward, followed by Pein. The two of them had been turned around eight years before Sasori had, and they were the first to prove that vampires could drink the blood of other vampires.

In fact, the two of them would only drink each other's blood, and had never drunk anyone else's. They had come into the Akatsuki as a unit, a perfect pair.

Sasori hated them for it.

The newest member was another bizarre one. Another immortal that didn't technically require blood… but he did use it for his jutsu. As it turned out, Hidan used a strange combination of chakra-based and blood-based ninjutsu – a combination that some sect of ninjas called Jashinists used.

"Man, I'm telling ya, I ain't no vampire," Hidan let out a long sigh. "I'm a Jashinist… my Lord Jashin gave me these powers, and I don't wanna be called by the same name as you godless demons," he paused, looking at everyone in the room. "No offense."

"Right," Madara nodded. "So, why do you want to join? We already have a regular immortal…"

"Well, he ain't the same as me. And I wanna join because I figure this is the best way to do what Jashin wants me to do."

"And what would that be?" Pein asked with a sigh.

"Kill, of course."

"What is… what are you doing?" Sasori demanded as he left the Akatsuki compound, unable to help but stare at the strange man. He was half-black, and half-white… literally. His head seemed to be encompassed by a green, plant-like object.

And he was currently using said green, plant-like object to eat one of the blood-depraved corpses.

"I figured you were finished with him, so…" the guy shrugged. "My name is Zetsu."

Sasori moved his fingers just slightly, ready to send one of his guard puppets after the man. Anyone who could get onto the Akatsuki grounds without setting off any sensors or being killed was a worthy adversary.

Zetsu melded into the ground as if melting before the puppet's attack could reach him. "That's rude," he responded. "I have heard about your organization… I'd like to join, if possible." His voice changed dramatically, from a normal sort of voice to one much deeper... and darker, somehow. "We heard you accept any type of powerful immortal, correct? Take us to your leader."

Nearly forty years passed. Since then, Sasori had spent a good deal of his time doing a personal inventory on himself.

He had spent the last two centuries going through human victims, using them and reusing them when he felt the urge, and did not kill them in the initial feedings. It had taken him almost a century to find out, but he greatly preferred young, beautiful males to females.

For that reason, he was jokingly (though it was honest in all aspects) called a 'widow-maker,' though he never felt much pity for any of the widows that were left in his wake.

He, though he was one of the oldest members of the Akatsuki (following Pein and Konan, who were only a decade or so older than he was) hated everyone in the Akatsuki.

So, for nearly his entire existence, he submerged himself in his work, which ranged from functional and practical puppets, to puppets designed to imitate a particular person, and to puppets that had absolutely no function at all. He learned how to use cadavers to make puppets, and even how to make oneself into a puppet… not that he would need to try such extreme measures, especially since he was already immortal and his blood jutsu might eventually ruin even the most perfect puppet.

He'd been alone for over a century, submerged in his work, and had finally decided that he was tired of going through victims so quickly – it was taking too much time away from his work.

So, he began seeking a victim. And the first place that he sought a victim from was from Konoha, the Land Hidden in the Leaf. As he went to leave, however, Pein stopped him, saying he had business in Konoha as well.

Pein had never trusted Sasori, so Sasori accepted without a fight. Why draw unnecessary suspicion to him, anyways?

As it turned out, their journey to the Leaf did not give Sasori any adequate results; art appreciation amid Leaf ninja was so poor that Sasori decided he'd have a better chance finding a victim in some other village, such as the Cloud. And that was where he went.

And found the perfect victim.

The man had long, blond hair and bright blue eyes; he was an excellent shinobi, and an amazing sculptor. True, he had a thing for explosions, and they'd argued a few times…

But Sasori had made up his mind quickly about the boy. His name was Deidara, and Sasori was going to make him his.

"So, what, un, I just let you turn me, and we drink from each other forever, yeah?" He had a speech impediment of some sort, and Sasori had finally noticed the mouths on his hands…

Well, the first part wasn't too bad, and the second could easily be turned into a good thing.

"Exactly. Your power will increase ten-fold, and you could work on your art for an eternity," Sasori added, knowing that for a true artist, the last part would be the deal-sealer.

"Well, I'll have to pass, un."

"… What?" Sasori demanded. Few people could actually rile Sasori up, but this boy's insolence had already driven him to the point of anger.

"Art is supposed to be there one second, un, and then disappear, yeah. It's supposed to be… breathtakingly beautiful, un, for a short time, and then be gone… Art is a bang, yeah."

"… Please. I have works of art that have survived for over a century. That's art; something that's amazing and will last through the generations."

"No, un. That's an artifact. Yeah, over a year is an artifact…"

"… I will kill everyone in your family if you don't retract that statement."

"Okay, un! Just stating an opinion, yeah."

"Ch," Sasori scoffed. He was starting to rethink it. "But you know, if you live for an eternity… you can watch your art go away with a bang a million times over. And it'd be more interesting than this place. All it takes is a small sacrifice…"

"My mother, un, said never to sell my body for anyone, yeah."

"Who said anything about your body? I just want your blood."

"… Okay, un, but I'm not doing anything sexual, yeah."

As it turned out, Deidara was a 'sexual deviant,' so there was a good reason why his mind jumped to sexual relations so quickly. However, he also had similar tastes as Sasori. They both enjoyed the 'artistic beauty' of 'pretty men.' Deidara, like Sasori, didn't care much for personality as long as the person was a work of art.

After finding that out, it didn't take long for Deidara to have sex with Sasori, though it did take the two of them a while to show each other their art work.

And thus, the second 'pair' of the Akatsuki was formed.

"I'd like to join your organization," a man vehemently declared at the front gate of their compound.

"Not this again…" Pein sighed. "How many members are we going to collect just because they can get past the sensors? It might be easier than we think… At what cost do you want to join us?"

"I want immortality, and with immortality, I want to use my time and collect every jutsu known to man. I will achieve this at any cost."

"You sound driven… but to what end do you wish to use these jutsu?" Madara asked.

"Research," Orochimaru stated simply.

"Right…" Madara looked away and shook his head slightly. "You'll have to give a more honest answer than that. But, for now, we will put you on trial membership. That means everything but becoming an immortal. You shall earn full membership if we deem you worthy of it."

Sasori could sense how pissed off Orochimaru was. It radiated off the man with the vehemence of killing intent, but the man stayed scarily pleasant about the matter. "Very well. I appreciate your consideration," he said, before standing up and leaving.

"Madara," Sasori asked, speaking for the first time during the event. "You have granted immortality to most of us easily enough. What makes that man different?"

"He wants to 'collect jutsu.' If you think about it, that puts a few of our members in danger," Madara's gaze shifted from the door that Orochimaru had just left through to Sasori, "And aside from that, he is rather off-putting. I do not trust him; why grant someone such as him immortality and the power to stab me in the back?"

"You aren't planning on giving him full membership at all, are you?"

Madara smirked. "Did you see how old he was? Remember the last time we tried turning someone as old as he is? He should be thanking us for not considering him; I just don't want to anger him further. He isn't completely sane… and the power of mental instability is great, you know."

"So, you're just going to lead him on until he gives up and realizes that we're never turning him?"

"Precisely."

Forty years passed from then. Orochimaru left after a good three years in the Akatsuki, having discovered that he wasn't going to attain immortality from being in the organization. However, his leaving wasn't a pleasant separation; he promised revenge on the Akatsuki, and swore he would make his own organization.

And then he left before any of them could kill him.

Things were going as usual; they were keeping Suna in check, as well as all of the other ninja villages that had sprung up over the past hundred or so years. They were 'requesting' victims from Konoha, the Cloud, the Grass, the Rain, the Mist, and a number of other smaller villages.

"Pein. I want you to go to Konoha, and hand Itachi Uchiha this letter. After you've done that, I want you to turn him and come back here," Madara said as he handed Pein a letter.

"What's inside?" Pein asked, glancing down at it and then back up at Madara.

"Instructions. And an offer to join our group."

"… Why do you want him to join us all of a sudden?"

"Because the Uchiha clan is planning an uprising against Konoha over a position they believe they deserve. Itachi Uchiha is the only one who would leave Konoha, despite the pending overthrowing of Konoha's council. He is loyal to Konoha… but he won't be so loyal when he is offered this power and the ability to protect Konoha from afar over the centuries."

"Noted."

Itachi Uchiha had also been getting offers from Orochimaru to join his group, which he referred to as the Village Hidden in the Sound. However, he took up with the Akatsuki because he actually had the ability to do something good for his village from there. He was not considered a missing-nin, as the Akatsuki personally requested him; but he was still a traitor in the minds of every Konoha citizen for the mass destruction of the main clan of Konoha that took place the day before he left.

Only a half-year after he joined, he'd turned a missing-nin from the Mist as his victim, on the premise that the man's sword was absolutely astounding, as was the sheer amount of chakra that radiated from the man. He turned him purely on the basis of his fighting abilities and blood jutsu potential – nothing more.

He didn't need to care for the man; in fact, the only person he seemed to care for at all was his younger brother, the only person he hadn't killed from his clan. He didn't even seem to care much for himself.

And with that, the Akatsuki now had ten members. And it was eight years later that Gaara, Temari, and Kankarou took Naruto, Shikamaru, and Shino as their victims. They attained a firm control over every one of their ninja villages, they each had a means of feeding that suited them, and they had a good connection with Suna.

But what no one knew, except Madara, was that shit was going to hit the fan very soon. When Sasori had turned the Suna siblings, Madara read the oracle's premonition. And he knew what to do about it.

He was going to start a war between the Sound, Suna, and Konoha using the three from Chiyo's premonition to attain control over the world, and each of its inhabitants.

A/N: Okay, the order is screwed up, I know. Ignore that, this is AU anyways. I tried keeping to the plot, but oh, well. The chapter is very Sasori-centric… for no reason other than all the important events included Sasori, and I like Sasori/Deidara.

Also, you may notice that I'm updating all of a sudden. SHOCKER. I might actually continue writing this. The only thing is I'm having to go back and put borders between scene changes. I hate doing that. =| I usually use *** for a scene change but keeps erasing them.

ALSO it's a pain in the ass to upload all of a sudden. But I'm working on the next chapter, trying to remind myself where I was going with this, and I might actually update sometime later this week.