Thank you again for all he reviews so far! I'm coming close to wrapping this story up, maybe five more chapters. But don't worry, two (hopefully) epic fights are inbound, and even better news, the first one is now.

Enjoy!

XXX

Deidara

That's my right arm busted, snapped in two places, and it looks like my left pouch's clay had its contents flown out. This is not going to be a pleasant situation.

He had been walking in the direction he thought Tobi had said the oasis was, dragging his body along with him. The sand bit into an open wound in his right arm, and he had to fight to not look down at it. A piece of bone stuck out of his elbow, and right now trying to fix it with his head as scrambled as eggs was not wise. He had never thought he would hate anyone as much as old man Tsuchikage, but the hatred for Tobi was almost unbearable. Not only had the masked bandit outwitted him by being a fool, he had even escaped with whatever plan he had been manifesting.

Sasori doesn't know a thing... I have to help him.

It was this determination that sent him walking for an hour through the desert, his tracks being swept up by the wind so that he would never even have a way to return home, if he had wanted. The bleak yellow surroundings were his only comfort, with the high ridged sandstone peaks that made the canyon on either side. On, on, on. There was nowhere else to go, anyways.

And on the journey, he became again became aware of a feeling that had been building up in his stomach since his battle with the Nine-Tails. The insanity of art was there, the instant of the explosion. But after that thrill, where there was the usual emptiness and dullness, there was something to replace it. Sasori's presence completed him, it gave him a day of assurance in addition to the second of the bomb. Their two arts could be compatible, and he was living proof.

To think we hated each other at first, that we wanted nothing to do with each other and our methods. Partners forced together like oil and water. He clutched his wounded arm, and clenching his teeth, he forced the bone back into his arm. Pain shivered up along his body, but it was only for a second. A calming presence filled him again, knowing his arm was at least slightly fixed.

When was the last time I felt happy about something when it didn't involve blowing something up? Was it the bond I shared with Lord Tsuchikage and Kurotsuchi, even the rest of the village? The more he thought about it, the more he felt that it was these bonds that were what truly made him feel complete. Maybe Sasori was on to something about there being something right about making things last longer.

His footsteps began to pick up, carrying hid body rather than dragging it through the sand. He gulped air and set his face. It's not that I have to help him.

It's that I want to.

His good arm swallowed up a mouthful of clay, and he concentrated his chakra. Something good, something wonderful. Something that will be good, in the long run. Something that even Tobi would get stumped by...

He fell to his knees, the pain ever present and his chakra sapped from his desperate gamble when he had fell from the sky. His face looked down at the sand, beads of sweat falling into it. He could imagine Sasori doing the same at the oasis, perhaps questioning where his partner was when he needed him. The thought of being alone, just your reflection staring back up at you for support...

A reflection...

The answer was quite simple.

XXX

Sasori

They stood facing each other. In the distance, Sasori could hear the telltale signs of a sandstorm brewing. They often did in the Valley, where the air currents would become trapped and swirl around and around until they developed into storms. Getting trapped in one of those wouldn't be good for his gears, that much he was willing to bet on.

Opposite of him, Kakashi spread his feet apart, obviously planning something. His eyes kept flickering to the left side, perhaps out of nervousness for something to look at.

Or there's something there.

Sasori grinned. "Seems were both a bit shy to start the show. Please, allow me to give you the first exhibition!" He quickly focused his chakra into his left leg, then stomped it into the sand. If something was there, the vibrations would force it up to avoid its chakra being scrambled-

The sand roared on his right side, a clone of Hatake jumping out with a kunai knife that was shoved into his side.

He made me think there was something on the wrong side, stupid, stupid move-

In a swift motion, he had expertly locked the clones elbow and snapped it, then brought the rest of the swinging over his head so that he could smash it into the ground-

The clones dissolved into blue streaks of electricity midway above his head, and he felt his gears lock as electricity flowed throughout his body. The lightning then traveled to his core, and he gritted his puppet's teeth in reflex as unfamiliar pain clouded his thoughts-

Pitpatpitpatpitpat. I almost can't see him with my eye missing. Just in time, he ducked, thanks to his left leg giving way to a mechanic failure, just avoiding Kakashi's outstretched arm. However, his leg followed lower, and Sasori's jumbled limbs couldn't react in time. The sandal struck him fiercely in the head and sent him stumbling back. He clutched at the ground for some support, his palm open, groping for something.

Kakashi was coming again, and his palm closed on empty air. The Leaf's approach faltered as he fell forward, the chakra string attached to his ankle sweeping his leg up from under him.

"Don't go charging into the situation like a genin!" Sasori taunted. The same palm broke apart into four squares, with a projectile launcher emerging from the center. Five poisoned senbon shot out, all aimed for vital spots. Sasori's aim was impeccable, there was no way he would miss-

"Earth Style: Mud Wall Jutsu!" The sand opened up again, and a thick wall of earth came up from the depths of the earth. The senbon deflected off it harmlessly, but Sasori was already thinking of his countermeasure. He jumped back a few spaces as the wall came up, and brought his hands together in a single hand sign. He felt the miniscule weight of the scroll on his back vanish. He stuck Blade in between his jaws, then the ebony arm came apart in the same way as his other one.

In an instant, the splitting streams of water were pulsing out of both launchers, thin streams shot out at cutting speed. He brought his arms across in scissors, and the earth wall came apart in three pieces. However, just as he had suspected, Kakashi was not behind it anymore.

He likes to duck into the earth and then sent out a decoy to lure in attention, then attack while his target is distracted. An assassin's tactics, as well as simple ANBU protocol. He may have a Sharingan to anticipate my moves, but I can still infer his.

He put away the water cannons and took Blade out of his mouth. He scanned the sand, looking for a place for him to shoot up from. When none was forthcoming, he decided to test the strength of the ebony arm. With a one strong blow, he slammed the fist into the sand.

Immediately, Kakashi came springing out of the sand two feet away. A second after, the hole he had been burrowing in gave a hollow crashing sound as the gaps in the ground were filled in by the pressure vibrating through the earth. f he hadn't jumped, his head would have cracked like an egg. He swooped up Blade in the ebony arm and swung fiercely for Kakashi's head. However, the jonin blocked it easily, then sent him back stepping as he swung at all angles with a pair of kunai.

Why am I fighting at close range? Sasori questioned himself suddenly. It's not by strong suit. He brought Blade ripping at Hatake's legs, but to his shock the other actually landed on his sword as it swung. Then, both kunai lit up in lightning, a tendril of electricity forming in between them.

"Raikiri : Lightning Transmission!"

He held up his weapon in defense-

The ancient blade, if its origin was true, was made of a rare, tough metal. Nothing had ever so much as made a nick in it, and he had only had to sharpen it twice in their long history together. However, he could do nothing but watch as the crackling lightning forming between the two kunai pressed against the Blade and slicked through the upper half.

For an eternity he watched the upper half slide off the base, then fall to the ground. Kakashi's attack was still coming, aiming for his neck, which would do irreparable damage like it had with Chameleon-

His right arm extended tremendously and punched the Leaf shinobi in the head, sending him spinning away. However, he did not stop there. His hand clenched around his flak jacket and then bodily tossed him up into the air, then retracted. He just needed a moment to do what he needed.

The ebony arm stretched to his back and pulled out a second scroll, which he unfurled and allowed the air to brush it like a banner.

"Summoning: Janus Puppet!"

The scroll burst into smoke, and out of came a large, towering puppet. Kakashi whirled in midair, coming out of his drop to land safely on the ground a few meters away. As the smoke cleared, Sasori was grimly satisfied to see his red eye widen.

"This is one of my favorite and most complex puppets," Sasori called softly, letting his voice travel with the wind. "You'll notice its three heads. Each one stands for a different stance it can take: slayer, sentinel, and a final, last resort technique. But the first two get what I want done, always."

"I'm flattered you care to explain it," Kakashi said tiredly, clutching his right eye. It oddly wasn't the side Sasori had struck, and he made careful note to keep a careful eye on Kakashi's moves. There's something wrong about his stance, as well. Have to stop him before he gets a chance to do what he wants!

He clicked his index finger and thumb together, activating the slayer mode on Janus. Instantly, the wrists split apart and rotating needle cannons came swiveling out. They instantly began firing, his eye following Kakashi's movements. The silver-haired jonin took to the air, darts of thin iron slicing after him. He landed back on the ground and danced, avoiding each one. The sand quickly became pointy and shiny with the amount of needles being fired. Sasori kept up the charade, but his left thumb was dipping down. This activated the left shoulder joint, and out came a duo of sharp blades, spinning rapidly. The left arm kept firing its needles, but the right one stooped and reached up the grasp the blades in their middle while the sword spiraled dangerously.

And... gotcha. Janus swung the blades by rotating its wrist 360 degrees just as quickly as the swords. Its speed now doubled, the sword flew towards Kakashi in a second, determined to cleave him in half. And that they did; the sword speed caused it to bite into his back before momentum caused the other blade to slice into his stomach and saw him evenly in half-

His thumb met his pinky, and Janus instantly retracted its weapon and produced heavy plating from within it. It's face swiveled to a softer one, a artfully crafted female face with a nevertheless sinister look in its eye. The other two faces were covered by a thin iron helmet. Soon the whole puppet, was covered in a dense pale yellow plating: the sentinel mode.

The sand all around Janus blew up into four clones. He brought up his right hand an inch, his fingers waggling. His creation responded by the armor plating opening up into little slits. Thin spikes shot out at the clones and impaled all of them. Upon being destroyed, however, they all cascaded into lightning, which zapped Janus- to no effect. The puppet shrugged off the attack like it was nothing, and the plates solidified again just in time to deflect four kunai that came out of a fifth Kakashi, probably the real one. Sasori sent Janus rushing forward , and it struck Kakashi bodily at top speed-

Again, lightning enveloped his puppet. He's doing something-

"Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!" The oasis trembled behind him, then a column of water with a monster's head emerged, shooting right for him.

He was buying time for the hand signs, that jutsu requires a lot of them. Damn, he's fast with his seals. He brought both his hands up, and Janus bolted towards him. The dragon was quick, but Janus's armored body took the brunt of the force, being buffeted perhaps a foot back and the armor plating slightly dented, but otherwise the gears and mechanics inside it were unharmed. Fast, but not as fast as me.

The real Kakashi shot out right in front of him, and he had Janus go back into slayer mode. Two poison-dripping kunai shot out of its throat, which Kakashi was forced to drop his surprise attack for to avoid. His hand was burning with electricity again, which could harm both Janus and himself. Have to keep him away longer- ranged attacks. He had Janus pop open its left shoulder socket and allowed the explosive cannon to emerge. It fired three rounds in quick succession, its entire clip. They littered the sand at Kakashi's feet, but he had already taken off into the air, once again aiming for him-

He knows short-range isn't my strength, just like any other puppet master. "Keep away from me!" he snarled, disgruntled. He dropped the chakra cords from his left hand, then shot out some senbon of his own. Kakashi spiraled multiple times in the air to dodge, landing perfectly on his feet. He dropped fully to the ground to avoid Janus roaring above his head.

Sasori kicked sand into the other's eye, and Kakashi fumbled to regain his stance. Again, Janus was closing in-

"Just die!"

The Lightning Blade blindly struck Janus's left arm and sliced it off cleanly- as Sasori had hoped. His thumb spiraled, and out shot out a spray of toxic mist. Kakashi cried out as he inhaled the purple haze, and he wretched and fell to his knees, clutching his throat. Sasori had Janus ease itself to beside him, then he approached the weakened shinobi. "You shouldn't have come alone," he taunted. "You should have realized you're no match for the most powerful puppet master alive- what were you thinking? Thought it would be another easy ANBU mission?"

"Who... said... I... was alone...?"

Sasori took this in, then whirled, having Janus shoot off every single projectile weapon it had in a wide arc to hit whatever backup was arriving-

The air shifted behind him as he took in the bait,, and he realized Kakashi had taken to the air again. Janus was fast, but the distance to getting in the air like that was impossible, and now that he had shot every long-range weapon. And he was clutching his right eye again-

I have no choice. He brought his palms together, and Janus changed again. With his remaining eye, he saw the third face swiveled forward, that of an angry god. The eyebrows were pitted downward, the eyes narrowed and painted to slits, and the mouth baring canine teeth. And it had only one attack-

His concept of worship was obeying a god for eternity, for wasn't that what a god was meant to last? But when its people turned its back on them, it would unleash its wrath. But without any worshippers, that god would die. So Sasori had convened the ultimate representation into art...

Taking a leaf out of Deidara's book... if only he were here to see it.

"Red Secret Technique: Performance of the Wrathful God!"

His Janus puppet took to the air, pouring chakra into its feet to give it propulsion. In a few moments, it was up in the air with Kakashi, two meters away.

Then the last arm collapsed into the puppet, and then the legs. The torso followed, shrinking in on itself. Collapsing, folding, vanishing into the art of the blast. In three seconds, the head was all that remained. Sasori could not see it from his vantage point on the ground, but he knew the eyes had lit up into a bright orange, staring directly at its target.

"Goodbye, Kakashi!" he shouted. Then he had the ebony arm fold open into a miniature shield in front of his core.

The Janus Puppet exploded into a bright orange ball of chakra, not flame but visible, palpable chakra. It was small, perhaps the size of a watermelon, but in a few seconds, it would erupt into an explosion even Deidara would shed a tear for.

Look at me now, father, mother. Are you proud to see your son avenging your wronging? Can you take away the pain away now, cease your haunting of my soul?

No response was forthcoming, so he shrugged and took the silence as an acceptance, though he felt that this was not the case. Oh well. And... now.

"KAMUI!"

The orange chakra ball blurred, then suddenly seemed to enter an aerial pool. Sasori watched, stunned, as it sucked in on itself, disappearing into a hole in the world. Then, with a final pop, it was gone, sucked out of the world.

Robbing him.

Kakashi dropped down in front of him and slashed with his kunai, opening a gash on his left cheek. Sasori screamed, and Kakashi froze. His wooden ebony arm smashed Kakashi across the face, breaking the cheekbone and sending the other man in a heap to the ground. But again, the enemy that had again and again outsmarted him picked himself up from the ground.

"Why won't you die!"

"I could ask you the same."

"DIE!"

The ebony arm clashed against the kunai, pressing up against it in a desperate gamble. However, Sasori desperation could not match up against Kakashi's determination, and the other pushed him off, breathing heavily but having won the standoff.

"What is it with you, why or how can you keep fighting?" he snapped out. "Is it some jutsu up your sleeve? Am I missing the hand signs, what, WHAT!"

Kakashi dropped to a knee, panting. His Sharingan was different, a unique shape Sasori had never seen before. Is it a Mangekyo Sharingan like Itachi's? That would explain why he was clutching his right eye, trying to make whatever unique jutsu the eye carries. It seems like its power is to just suck things away, into, what, another dimension? Advanced jutsu, indeed.

He clenched his wooden hands into a fist. But where does his energy come from? A desire to defeat me? Does he think he's defending his father's honor against my parents?

"Even if your eyes no longer have life in them," Kakashi sighed. "The way you fight tells me you know the answer. You care about another person, and the desire to fight for them gives you strength."

Sasori laughed aloud. "You think I care for others? People are expendable, I alone am eternal and unique. What makes you think I need to care for other people?"

"You talk like someone who knows pain... and like someone who knows being alone," Hatake said carefully. "I was the same, once. There was a void in which I felt only I was the only who could do something right, and that others were only apart of a mission or meant to be temporary. Then I found friends, real friends. People who cared about me and wanted to protect me, and I saw their strength." He clutched his right eye, his hand trembling. "Even if they're not here to help me, knowing that they care about and want to see me again gives me the strength to fight on. If you're only going to fight for yourself, then you only have yourself to look forward to."

"Your philosophy is nonsense," the puppetmaster spat. "I don't care for anyone, no one ever cared for me!"

"Not even your parents who you're fighting to avenge?"

That made him pause, but his response was gloating. "They're dead. Do you know what happened to my grandmother, Granny Chiyo? She cared for me, and I killed her in cold blood. I have great strength, Kakashi Hatake. You have luck, but it's at an end here!"

"Then how was my student Sakura and an old woman like her able to match your power equally?"

"SHUT UP!"

"If you refuse to listen to reason, then maybe you are beyond help," Kakashi conceded. "Maybe you really have slipped to far away from being human to understand things like this anymore. If that's the case, then let's trade final blows right now! Raikiri!"

He scooped up the last half of his once proud Blade, and they both charged at each other at the same time, a final testimony to who's ideology was stronger.

"SASORI- WAIT!"

But by the time he had heard the last word, before he could deduce if it was a voice in his own head or that of his partner, everything was dark and there was nothing to feel anymore.