Author's note: The reason I chose to do this rewrite is not to try and outshine Kishimoto. The man worked like a beast, and even if the story had it's flaws he ended up creating a classic. Hindsight also has 20/20 vision and sometimes one can only make changes after the fact. However, I thought that some things were missing or could've been improved on, and this Fic is an attempt to give life to what I wanted from the series.

This is going to be far from perfect and sometimes I'll watch or read something about what should be changed and what should remain and think to myself "God Dammit! Why didn't I think of that."

Anyway, although the Shippuden arc was mostly well written, in my opinion, it just needed that extra touch. That's where I'm beginning. This arc mainly revolves around Team 10's developement and the beginning of the Sound Village's end in the narrative. As I thought that Sasuke's time in the Akatsuki was also wasted potential, I really wanted him to have some interractions with the other members. And come on, we need that Sharingan vs Byakugan fight. On top of that, there was one fan- and /or cracktheory that I thought was too good not to be true.

Warning: Some OC's will be introduced later on, but they mainly exist for the purpose of lore and backstories. The one with the biggest impact is already implied to exist or have existed in canon and I thought he'd be a good addition to the overall narrative. The Sharingan does get nerfed, for example: putting a greater regen time on Obito's Kamui, so that we can actually see more of what he learned under Madara. The Byakugan also gets a power-up, but just enough to add weight to Kakashi's comment about it being on par with the Sharingan. (They aren't a hard counter to each other, as much as they prevent wach other's user from getting the most out of their powers).

And forgive me, I'm new to writing and there's still a lot to be desired and room for improvement.

Neji stood in the Hokage's office waiting patiently to hear reason, why the Fifth had summoned him.

He already had an idea but unfortunately, it seemed as if she had forgotten his presence. The immense piles of unfinished paperwork that had accumulated over an uncertain period of time, occupied her focus. She raged at the contents and questioned, if such matters really had to be run through her. Shizune tried in vain to calm her down, but this only adding fuel to the furnace. This had been a regular spectacle for Neji, since she had taken the reins of power, and showed no signs of stopping. Thankfully for the Shinobi, missions were handled by a different department, which prevented them from getting lost in the endless stacks of forms and requests. To his dismay, he reckoned that it would take a while to recieve the files.

Given Tsunade's mood, he felt reluctant about raising another matter concerning his cousin. She had come far in the three years since he started mentoring her, but it was reaching its end. As a Jounin, his workload had steadily increased and spare time was less frequent and came in shorter blocks. Thankfully, he had a solution. He would find Hinata a new instructor and so far things were going his way. Shino Aburame, the only other Jounin from their generation, was now her new team leader and supported the idea. He made her sit out their current mission so that she could get started, in case he managed to gain Tsunade's approval. At least then she had some time to grow accustomed to anything she learned. However, he felt that Tsunade's support would be vital to convince the target instructor and even then nothing was guaranteed. Butl her frustration abated all discussion and concerns would have to be sidelined.

Shizune, still trying to placate the furious Hokage, narrowly hit him in the stomach as she brought him the file. Despite having grown accustomed to reading mission descriptions, whilst Tsunade went on a tirade, he gradually began wish that he had allowed himself to become distracted this time.

There was a conflict in the Sound Village and he was being sent to aid a faction.

The sound of that country reminded Neji of the attack on Konoha three years ago and the boogeyman that had been Orochimaru. Neji felt relieved when he heard that Sasuke had killed him. In that moment, the burden of the failed retrieval was lifted knowing that the enigmatic villain wouldn't trouble the village any longer. Soon the enormous network, that Orochimaru apparently possessed, would lose its lynchpin and the shady figures within it would turn against each other. At least that's what he hoped, having nearly been killed by one of said figures. Unfortunately, the network was enormous and without that lynchpin nobody was keeping the numerous minions in line and they would be free to cause unbridled havoc. Being that the instability could leak across the border into the Land of Fire, it had an interest in helping it's former foe.

"So, the Daimyo had decided to intervene?" Although he meant the question rhetorically, it had broken Tsunade out of her rage-induced trance. Neji didn't notice, as those he was more concerned with the group that yould be recieving the "Daimyo's" help. Sound Ninjas, led by a man named Saizou, intent on retaking control of their lands. Had he not seen the official seal at the end, he would've thought it was a joke. The boogeyman had been slain, and now he was to help the Daimyo take his place in the hierarchy. "Are you certain about this Godaime-sama?"

"Cut the formalities, Neji. Don't forget that your father was one of my Genin." Tsunade is certainly in better spirits, he thought remembering her tirade moments earlier. "About the mission or me having chosen you?"

"Both" he replied, though he instantly felt the need to justify his directness. "Wouldn't a more experienced Jounin such as Kakashi or Guy Sensei be more suitible? Or why not somebody from my parent's generation?"

He may have been avoiding his main concerns, but it was still a valid point. Why not send actual veterans to fight a war?

"Ha! Your parent's generation aren't the badasses you make them out to be anymore. They've all grown a little too comfortable." Neji strongly disagreed with that, but understood that Tsunade had a sense of humor. She meant that most of them had grown into other responsiblities, which prevented them from being Shinobi. "As for the higher ranking Jounin, they're needed here. What's happening in the Land of Sound may be important, but we have our own issues to deal with. Don't forget that the Akatsuki is still at large and you know as well as I do, that you have to hit even just one member with everything and the kitchen sink."

"How can I forget." Their encounter with the one Akatsuki member a few months prior was still fresh in his mind. He and his team were rendered useless, and nearly drowned to death. Just to be able to go toe to toe with him, Guy had to rely on the upper limits of his power. Another one managed to kill Asuma and his partner took on Kakashi, Yamato, a Jinchuuriki and the rest of Team 7 alone. To deal with this group, the Hidden Leaf would need all of their elites on the task. Leaving other important matters to less experienced Shinobi.

"Besides, I double-checked before giving this mission to you. What I was told more or less was what I expected. "Neji is in the springtime of youth and this would the perfect opportunity to make a name for himself." It goes without saying that he sounded very confident in your abilities."

"Guy-sensei is very confident about everything." Guy believed heavily in all of his students, but he couldn't shake the thought of Tsunade's influence in the matter. She was his father's instructor and had a notorious habit of playing favorites towards her students and the children thereof. "Forgive me for being apprehensive, Tsunade-sama. It may just be my experiences influencing my outlook on the matter, but there is something to take into consideration. The Hidden Sound was far from amicable with us, and at one point posed an existential threat. Divided they don't pose much of a threat to the Hidden Leaf. Wouldn't it be better to let them fight amongst themselves?"

"It seems that Hizashi's intelligence didn't skip a generation." Although flattered, Neji was beginning to wonder if she only summoned him to pretend he was his father. "I also have my doubts, and you're definately right about one thing. My sources tell me that there is still hostility towards the Hidden Leaf to be found there. I'm no general, but the the Land of Sound isn't that far from Konoha. Considering our relationship with the other nations, I'd doubt they'd pass up on that kind of logistical advantage. Hell, if I were them I'd unite the Sound Ninjas and sick them on us. If we act fast it'll allow us to stabilize the situation before they decide to beat us to the punch."

"Very Well." Neji still had his doubts about assisting the Hidden Leaf's former enemies. However, remembering the cost that International Politics had on his early upbringing, he just couldn't refuse anymore. He couldn't undo the effects, but he could stop more Kid Nejis from being created. "I'll assemble my team and head to the Land of Sound as soon as possible." Before Tsunade could speak, Neji remembered the second purpose of his being there. Now was as good a time as any to leverage her good mood and favorable reaction."However, there is one other request that I wished to address. It doesn't involve me and won't require any paperwork being filled out."

"Heh. At least you know how to season the food before giving it to me."Tsunade smiled coyly and sat back in her chair. "So,what will it be?"

Usually a bowl of Pork Ramen didn't last seconds after being served to Naruto. Instead of disappearing into thin air, the content of the bowl swirled within the bowl and grew colder. Naruto wasn't hungry and had only come to Ichiraku's out of habit, thinking that a bite to eat might ease the feeling of defeat that had eaten away at him since returning to the village.

The incident with the Masked Man plagued him to no area, where they had faced him wasn't that far from Sasuke and Itachi's location. The capture party could've probably made it in time, had he not been so hot headed and eager to engage the Akatsuki member. The man wanted to toy with them, and even the cooler heads fell for his act. They didn't land a single shot and something told him that he was only using a fraction of his power. The man even sounded like a child, who had grown bored with a toy, when he made his exit. He had robbed them of their ticket to getting Sasuke back and he did it on a whim, for fun even.

Naruto knew that he wasn't the only one carrying that baggage. The ordeal had also affected his team. Kakashi and Yamato didn't say a single word on their way back. Sakura's body may have been travelling with them, but her mind was clearly somewhere else. Sakura was a bad liar and he knew when Kakashi was trying to hide something. That incident had shaken them, and after understanding why, he suddenly had as much to say as Kakashi and his mind ceased to be in the moment.

Shino and Sai had openly discussed the conclusion, they arrived at. According to them, the reason the Masked Man came out of nowhere to engage them, was because the Akatsuki was keeping a close eye on the battle from the start. They even went as far as to say that the entire clash had been prearranged. Itachi had avoided capture for years and yet Sasuke finds him effortlessly. Either Itachi had grown sloppy, or somebody meant for him to be found. As the Masked Man seemed excited at the news of Itachi's defeat, they believed he was behind it. He wanted to see, which one of the brothers was stronger, and wasn't going to allow anybody to intervene in their contest. Sasuke having disppeared into thin air also left questions. An oppoenent like Itachi would leave anybody exhausted and they highly doubted that Sasuke would have the energy to make his get away that quickly. Even if he did, some sort of trace would be left behind and his Chakra signature would've at least been trackable for several kilometers. However, it vanished off the face of the earth alongside him. The Masked Man had also vanished in such an untraceable manner. They suspected that the Masked Man had picked him up and brought him back to the Akatsuki's lair and were planning on indoctrinating him into the group.

At first he wrote it off as Shino being a downer and Sai being, well Sai. The horror of that prospect and the implications it carried, couldn't be abted by alternative explanations.

Then there was his encounter with Itachi. He couldn't even try to wrap his head around what happened. That strange meeting left him with the feeling that there was more behind Itachi and the entire situation, than he could even comprehend.

All of the disappointment and confusion was coming after having failed to kill Kakuzu. As they had learned fighting Gaara's kidnappers, these people were powerful on their own. Despite being separated from his partner, Kakuzu still managed to hold his own until help arrived. The duo must've been taking too long as the blonde hired man, who captured Gaara, arrived. The resulting confusion allowed the both of them to escape. Although Shikamaru claimed that Hidan, was dead or as close to dead as could be, Kakuzu's escape left him feeling cheated.

Kakashi assured him that he shouldn't be too hard on himself. In his prime, Kakzu had faced and survived a bout with the First Hokage. Despite being in his 90's, the man had definately aquired a considerable amount of experience since that fight. He was surprised that he was able to keep up with the both of them, and reminded Naruto that he was exhausted by the time they arrived. Killing Kakuzu and Hidan was going to be extremely difficult from the start.

Sakura agreed with him. She was the only member of their Team that had defeated an Akatsuki member, and she reminded him that the word "defeated" was pushing it. She had only managed with Chiyo's help and they were victorious because Sasori decided to take his own life. The other members were a lot more determined and for now, they should consider themselves lucky for managing to kill another one.

Shikamaru shrugged it off, telling him not to worry and that they would get their chance.

Until that chance came, Naruto wanted to focus on finding a mentor that has mastered Wind Chakra. Unfortunately Asuma was the only option he knew about and another master wasn't just going to fall from the sky.

"What's the matter kid?" asked Ramen Guy. Judging by the smell it was Miso that he was serving to another customer. "You'd usually be on your third bowl by now."

"I guess I'm just not hungry." Naruto didn't think he bought the excuse, but didn't know what else to say. Ramen Guy wasn't a Shinobi and doubted he could relate to his struggles.

"Come on, don't lie to me. What's the matter?" Ramen Guy reclined on the counter."And don't say I won't understand. I'm an old fart and already heard everything there has to be heard."

"I'm just wondering if I'm wasting my time" Naruto began. "Every time I've tried to bring Sasuke back, something goes horribly wrong or he refuses. He thinks power is everything and I don't know what to say to him. Maybe Pervy Sage was right, I should just give up." Ramen Guy briefly turned away and stared at the ceiling. Naruto pouted believing that he was right in assuming he didn't understand.

He thought the conversation ended there and was ready to go back to playing with his food until until Ramen Guy finally responded. "When it comes to power, I can also say the same of you. You talk about acknowledgement and having to become stronger to attain it. In that sense I would assume that you could relate to him."

"Yeah but wanting to matter and wanting power for power's sake are two different things."

"Who says you don't matter? And I don't think it's a simple as wanting power for power's sake. When people seek power there's usually other reasosn behind it. Don't forget that Sasuke lost everybody he loved in one night. Perhaps he wants the power to prevent that from happening again and he's pushing you away because he fears losing you too." Having been on the receiving end of Sasuke's "fear of losing him too" he strongly doubted that. "That's just my opinion, and I'm only saying this because I've met my fair share of people like that when I was a Shinobi."

That comment woke Naruto from his stupor and he gawked at the old man half-confused and half-shocked. "Wait! You were a Shinobi?"

"I know I don't look like much, but I was one of the best back in the should ask around about "Fuujin" next time you get the chance." Ramen Guy must've noticed the utter look of disbelief on Naruto's face, as he let out a hardy chuckle. "Anyway, back to what I was saying. Before I opened up this establishment, I got to know several people like Sasuke very well. My own closest friend was like that. He lost many people that were close to him and forced himself to get stronger to protect the ones that were still there. And then there's the flipside. There are people like us, who accept that life is hard and that we can't change that. We can only get stronger and deal with those hardships as they come."

"Yeah, you're right" Naruto replied, "but why did you start making Ramen?" Why am I only finding out about this now?

"Because that's what I like to do." He smiled warmly. "And as far as Jiraiya goes, he thinks the world of you. He only told you that, because he thought it would be better, if it came from him. The old man is praying on your success, never forget that. In fact, we were talking about you the other day. Is it true that you're trying to master Wind Chakra?"

"Yeah?" he answered. Jiraiya could've heard it from Kakashi, but why he told Ramen Guy was lost him.

"He asked me if I could temporarily take on your training. I'm old and haven't done this in a while, and I may be a bit rusty. But Wind Releases used to be my specialty. I'm a busy man, but you are my best customer. So much so that I'd have Ayame run the stand for a while so I could purely decicate my focus to you. But, that's only if you accept."

Naruto scratched his head, uncertain of what he should say. Ramen Guy's words put him in a better mood. It wasn't any feelings of despair as much as skepticism that made him reluctant to accept. Ichiraku Ramen's owner was a man he had known his whole life. Him having a Shinobi past was hard to believe. Jiraiya having asked him for his assistance added a new level of craziness to it. For a second, he was about to dismiss it all as an elaborate joke. However, with Asuma's death Naruto needed a new master and the last two failures motivated him to increase his efforts. Besides, Ramen Guy being a former Shinobi was too good not to be true and he wanted to see what he was capable of.

Naruto gave his answer and Ramen Guy smiled confidently.

The higher ups were taking their time arriving, but their punctuality was of little concern to he stood on the pillar that used to be his brother's, Sasuke brushed it off as a minor inconvenience that came with his intended means to do away with the Village Elders.

Unfortunately, his patience was slowly eroding due to Karin and Suigetsu's grunted in frustration, indifferent to the cause of the exchange. Thankfully, he didn't have to suffer frustration in stood on the adjacent pillarwith his arms folded, enjoying the background noise as little as he did. None of them would intervene, having aclimatized themselves to their squabbles. They would go quiet as soon as Madara revealed himself, lest they enrage the man that stopped the "Butcher's Knife" with his bare hands.

"If you don't mind me asking" Jugo said, somehow audible amongst the din of insults, "What did that shark-man have to say to you."

He was referring to the discussion that Sasuke had with Kisame, when Itachi's former partner had pulled him to the the familiarity the swordsman displayed, the prospect of speaking to his former partner piqued his curiosity, and Sasuke lent him his ear.

"Nothing much" Sasuke replied, "he just confirmed that what Madara told me was the truth."

That of course was only half true, but it was the only thing that concerned him. The rest Kisame had only meant for his ears.

That look you had in your eyes, when you found out the truth about Itachi and the Hidden Leaf, is the same one I had, when I learned the same of my village. I understand that anger of having those closest to you die to protect hypocrites, liars,and corrupt grow up learning that such figures were always of upright moral character and not a rabble of hypocrites, liars, and corrupt , they are, and the system shelters you work within the system to defeat them, you'll have play by their rules, and they can utilize them infinitely better than you can. They'll sink their tendrils in and make you as wicked as they are. Work outside of it and you're free to do what you have to.I considered Itachi a good friend and respect his wishes. If you so choose to leave, I won't stop , I think that you made a very wise choice by accepting Madara's offerand with time you'll come to see that.

When he returned from his sabbatical, he promised to tell Sasuke more about his brother and what he had confided in him over the years.

"Do you reallybelieve them?" Jugo shot a skeptical glance his way.

"Whether I believe them or not changes little." Sasuke already accepted the possibility of Madara having ulterior motives. He didn't buy his claim of merely playing an advisory role to the higher ups and in all probability, he was looking to take over the group. Taka was introduced in order to create a cell strictly loyal to him. Kisame seemed to be aligned with him, but his treatment of him and the respect he had for Itachi made that inconsequential. "The Akatsuki's goals and mine he's willing to help me, they can have the world and everything in it as far as I'm concerned."

Jugo meant to reply, but the sudden arrival of the other members abruptly ended their discussion and the bickering of the other two.

Atop the unoccupied pillars emerged holograms that projected the likenesses of the various members.

Immediately he recognized Madara from the swirly mask he wore. Its orange color was replaced by the rainbow spectrum of holographic light, which also obscured his Sharingan. The color of the Mask wasn't the only thing that had been altered. During the meeting he was to be addressed by his alias "Tobi," if at all. Madara explained this alter ego as a means keep tabs the actions of the lower rankingmembers without arousing suspicion. Sasuke had briefly witnessed the act firsthand during their first encounter and remembered him behaving like a clueless oaf. The nostalgia from that day intensified when he saw that he didn't come alone.

Deidara's likeness appeared on the adjacent pillar and conjured the image of their undecided clash. According to Madara, Deidara was still seething over the encounter and felt like he had been robbed of a add fuel to the fire, Itachi had been on his hit-list for some time and Sasuke inherited his grudge against him, when news had reached the other members. Madara would prevent him from actively seeking a rematch. However, he couldn't stop him from being a nuisance during the if it involved breaking character. Despite Sasuke's oppenness to deciding the outcome, should Deidara attempt to act on his grudge, he figured it would be better to leave things to Madara. He had his own goals and Deidara nearly defeated him the first time. Once Madara uheld his end of the bargain, he would be free to challenge Deidara.

That was it for the recognizible members as the final three he only knew through brief descriptions.

A man about as tall as Jugo with a fiercier looking faced materialized across from Suigetsu. He had forgotten his name, but was warned against working with him.

The final two fit the description of the Akatsuki's leaders. One was a man and the other a woman. Despite his features being obscured, Sasuke could make out the eyes of the Sage of Six Paths. Madara had pointed that detail out before even mentioning his name. Apparently those eyes could manipulate life and death themselves. That got Sasuke's attention and added weight to what Kisame had said earlier. "Pain" was the man's alias, and he had the kind of power that Sasuke sought. He and the woman, Konan, had had a friendly relationship with Itachi, and he would be wise to milk that friendship.

With the hall full the meeting could finally commence.

"As you see, we have new faces in the organization" began Pain, "You will get to know them in due time. For now we have more urgent matters to attend to. As you've realized the hunt for the Tailed Beasts is drawing to a close. The final two have considerably more power than the rest, and resorting to our current sealing methods will not suffice. We will need to recover Hidan and Orochimaru's rings in order to perform those rituals and will be the focus of our efforts. The capture of the final two beats will be put on hold until then."

"Finally!" said Deidara "Those rituals were a pain in the ass since Orochimaru left. But wait? Where's Kisame?" He pointed at Sasuke. "What's this guy doing here?"

"Shut up Deidara" said the tall man "Zetsu and I managed to get Hidan's ring back, but we ran into some trouble and couldn't bring that crazy bastard back with us. It seems the forest itself wants to keep him prisoner."

"Hidan can wait" said Pain with a slight tint of dismissiveness in his voice "Orochimaru's ring is more pressing and has been a loose end for far longer. Deidara, did Sasori know anything about the ring's location? Did he even mention it to Kabuto or vice versa?"

"Nah. Kabuto never said anything about it" responded Deidara nonchalantly "and my man never asked. He probably forgot about it. He just wanted to make new puppets and step on the old man's toes every now and then."

"Sasori"rang a bell in Sasuke's head, recalling Orochimaru and Kabuto mocking somebody with that name. From what he gathered, Sasori's hobby was making puppets out of powerful Shinobi and Kekkei Genkai users. That already sounded like somebody, who would be in competition with Orochimaru. Judging from the sheer number of test subjects that the former Sanin had at his disposal, it was obvious who was outcompeting the other. As for his personality, they compared him to a spoilt child, mad that his parent's didn't buy him the latest toys and that he loathed Orochimaru to the point where he would do exactly as Deidara said: try to step on his toes. Kabuto bragged about leading him on wild goose chases and feeding him outdated information. Looking at what he knew about Deidara, Sasori seemed to be the kind of guy, who he would get along with. Obsessed with something to the point, where they would act on pure instinct and throw judgement to the wind. They could be easily outsmarted and again, Deidara acting on pure instinct was nearly able to kill him at several points during their fight.

"Sasuke" Pain called, sounding as if the name tasted strangely "I understand that you were Orochimaru's follower. Did he ever make mention of a ring? Or if not, do you know where it could possibly be located?"

"No." Perhaps the reply was inappropriate, but he asked a question and got an answer. "He only mentioned this organization seldomly, let alone any ring. As for its location, I don't know where it could be with any certainty. However, I followed Orochimaru long enough to have an idea of where he would keep it." Sasuke paused debating whether it was a smart move to lead a man of Pain's power on, but realized that obtaining such power meant playing ball. "In fact, I think it may be in one of his hideouts in the Land of Sound. I'll go to the myself and recover the ring for you."

"Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't Orochimaru destroy that hideout?" asked Konan "At least that's what we were told before he disappeared off the face of the earth."

"He destroyed his main hideout, but that was one in place was littered with small bases and labs, especially ones that needed protection." Orochimaru's disdain for the Akatsuki was well known to him and no doubt, he'd make recovering that ring as difficult for them as possible. He assumed that he would've kept the true scope of his operations on the hush, and that placing the ring there would make any search seem like finding a needle in a haystack. Thinking about it now, it probably served to occupy the Akatsuki's attention, giving him more time to cover his tracks. "If the ring has that much value, I have no doubt that he'd keep it there."

"Very well" said Pain, "Then I'll entrust you with that task."

"Ah. Come On! This clown just joined us and you already trust him! Let me and my man Tobi handle it."

"Oh boy!" cried Tobi "Come on boss! Senpai will definitely find it!"

Sasuke fought back the urge to snigger. Madara played the role of an idiot well, and Deidara had completely fallen for it.

"How dare you insult Sasuke you idiot!" Nobody had to guess, who the reply came from and a mutual look of annoyance creeped onto faces of everybody. "You probably couldn't tell the difference between one of Orochimaru's hideouts and a hole in the ground! You probably couldn't even tell the difference between that and your ass!"

"You're half-blind and talking to me about disguising things! Oh well. If you go, I hope you don't get mad. You might just fog up your glasses and miss it!"

"Silence!" Karin and Deidara's spat ended abruptly and they nervously complied with Konan's command.

"The girl's right" continued Pain "Our knowledge comes from Sasori's less than reliable information. If anybody can find it, it's most likely going to be Sasuke."

Deidara pouted and folded his arms like a child getting scolded by his parents. "Tobi" started blankly before scratching his head and asking about what just happened. Sasuke bent his head, unable to keep a straight face anymore.

"I can accompany him." It was the tall man. "I'm still the organization's treasurer, and without having Hidan to babysit, I can fully concentrate on our finances. The Land of Sound is a good place to make money. There are a lot of Missing Nin there with bounties on their heads."

"That sounds like a great idea" blurted Deidara.

"I'll be taking Taka with me." Whether or not the warning was true, he wasn't about to prolong the mission by taking a detour. Taka may have its faults, but it had gotten him this far. Above all, he could trust them.

"Although that makes sense" started Pain "Only your knowledge of the location is needed, and the ring is too important to leave in the hands of rookie members. You will guide Konan to the approximate location, where she can use her sensory abilities to pinpoint it. Perhaps I will send Kakuzu along too. I have no doubt that the locals might present some roadblocks."

"Most of Orochimaru's test subjects will be more interested in their new found freedom, than the Akatsuki."

Sasuke wasn't well informed of the situation, but he was certain that Orochimaru's death was causing chaos. He had seen the aftereffects for himself. The lab holding Suigetsu had been completely abandoned, whilst the prison Juugo had been kept in had been taken over by the prisoners. Despite having received news of Orochimaru's death, Karin had been willing to continue running the prison in his name. The power vacuum was probably noticd in the Land of Sound too and there were people that could take advantage of it. In the best-case scenario, the prisons and hideouts formed fiefdoms and would be too busy fighting amongst themselves to worry about their the worst case, a strong and coordinated faction, like the Sound Ninjas, took over the area. Kabuto was still at large for all he knew. He could've taken Orochimaru's place in the hierarchy, thus preventing any of the afrementioned chaos. Anything was possible and remained to be seen.

"I have no doubt that you understand the situation. But reliability is needed for this mission, the one that only experienced members can provide."

"Understood" said Sasuke.

"Wait! But!" uttered Karin "Shouldn't at least one of go with him?"

"You've only seen that ring a few times if at all and I don't want to waste any time. If Konan and the big guy can locate it faster than we can, I'll go with them" replied Sasuke.

"She has a point though" said Jugo. "I could also theoretically locate the ring and we have experience working with you." He apprehensively turned to face Pain and Konan."I won't press the issue any further, but I agree that at least one of us should join him."

"I'll repeat what I said before. It would make sense under normal circumstances, but we need this mission done swiftly and without any chance of failure. Sasukehas to be accompanied by people, that I know for a fact can do that." Pain tuned his gaze to Suigetsu, who until then had remained silent. "Any other protests?"

"You made it clear the last two times that we're not going. I will say this though; people tend to be a lot less secretive, when they know you're trapped in a glass tank."

"Elaborate."

"I heard Kabuto talking about a ring with the man running the lab, where I happened to be in. Apparently, he held on to that ring after Orochimaru ditched you guys but lost it somewhere. He said something about an archive, but that's about it. And no, I don't know where it is. In a glass tank, a place that's across the road might as well be on another continent."

"Sasuke, do you know where this archive is?"

"I do. It's where he kept records his experiments' results and I have no doubt that Kabuto was there frequently. And it happens to be in the Land of Sound."

"Great" started Deidara again "you're trusting these two guys, and about something Kabuto said. Wasn't he playing Sasori the entire time?How do you know that he wasn't bullshitting this guy?"

"There's a difference between telling a half-truth, when stakes are involved, and having a conversation, when nothing's at risk" answered Kakuzu "That being said, Orochimaru was in league with a lot of powerful people and probably kept some record of their dealings. Blackmail is always a good source of leverage and offering to destroy evidence entirely makes for good pay."

This guy really is one greedy bastard thought Sasuke.

"Then it's decided. You three know what to do. The rest will remain on standby until further instruction."

With little left to be said, and the orders clear, the holograms faded out one by one. Alone in the cavern once more, Karin went off on a diatribe about not being able to participate on the mission and Suigetsu's perceived already figured that this would happen, and Karin's concern was more exasperating to him, than Suigestu's lack thereof. The Akatsuki wanted Sasuke, and Madara only tolerated their presence because of that fact. Pain and Konan didn't seem as permissive as Orochimaru and irritating them wouldn't work in their favor. Jugo and Suigetsu seemed to understand that and handled the situation as he had hoped they would. He needed to set her straight for her own good.

"Karin." Suigetsu was left talking to himself as the red-haired girl turned to face Sasuke. "I'm the one they're interested in, and the reason you're in the group is because I want you here. I have no love for Deidara but keep your comments to yourself. A few more outbursts like that and I may decide that you're too much of a hinderance to stay."

Karin's look of shock told him that the message hit home. He left her gawking and made his exit before they could raise any protest.

He hastily descended and went to gather his things for the journey. Despite not knowing where they would meet, the Land of Sound wasn't far away. If Konan was really that good than she'd find him on her own. As moved through the hallway, he suddenly felt another presence. No footsteps were audible, and he assumed that Taka was still in the meeting hall. Slowly he began recognizing the signature and smirked after registering, who it was.

Perhaps, he had come to offer him a ride.

"I thought good boys didn't leave their Senpai's side" he said "Won't Deidara get suspicious?"

"Maybe a bit lonely." Madara stepped out of the shadows. "Tobi is known for occasionally running off and getting lost, only to turn up again."

"He's probably wondering why you aren't there to admire him" replied Sasuke "So, why are you going through all of this trouble to recover a ring? Orochimaru's membership was well known,so there's nothing to cover up,and I doubt that a treasure hunter wouldn't last long in the Land of Sound."

"If only it were that simple. Those rings aren't just to show affiliation and had they been so, we wouldn't be going to the trouble of recovering them."

"Fine. Then what are they? A weapon?"

"No" he replied, "More like a magnifying glass being held to the sun. The user funnels their Chakra into the ring and it in turn amplifies it."

"Making it that much more powerful."

"Sealing a Tailed Beast isn't an easy task and without the rings it would be rendered impossible. The ritual can last days and consumes a massive amount of Chakra and this is with the required 10 ring bearers. We've been able to get around our "deficit" with brute force, just pouring in as much Chakra as our bodies will allow. However, this method is becoming unsustainable and I don't think it will suffice for the Hachibi and Kyuubi. Since you understand the importance of your mission now, I think a reward will be in order."

"Like showing me how to use the Mangekyou?" Sasuke had agreed to do Madara's dirty work and was willing to overlook his role in the massacre of his clan, at a cost. Madara's prowess in his prime wasn't unknown to him. Somehow he had managed to retain a youthful body and therefore must have aquired a lifetime's worth of knowledge. Adding to that was the fact that he was the only other Uchiha alive, and possed the Mangekyou Sharingan. Sasuke had attained his current power by his own force of will, but still needed Orochimaru's help. If he was to reach that next stage, he would need Madara's mentorship. "I've been trying to tap into the power of this eye, since we last met. However it's more painstaking than I anticipated."

"That's to be expected. I needed two years of non-stop training in order to fully master its capabilities. I was also younger than you are now, when they awakened. From childhood I began to master it's powers. You've only just recieved them, and relitively late in life by normal standards. We can speed up the rate of learning, but only if I'm there to oversee it. Unfortunately, our operations haven't met their conclusion, meaning that I need to be in the picture. I can't back out of my responsibilities, but maybe you can talk the higherups into it. Pain and Konan seemed to have taken kindly to your eagerness. I'm sure they'll grant you an audience once you've recovered the ring."

"I'll tell them that to be of continued use to them, that they'll have to allow you time to train me." Sasuke wanted to say, that they'll grant him time or wouldn't be able to count on his help in the future. However, the both of them seemed willing to cooperate with him and asking for Madara's time wasn't too great of a request. "Once I finish. Anyway, do you know where I'm supposed to meet them. Or am I expected to cross paths with them at the border?"

"As it so happens, I didn't come solely to chat." Madara turned and made his way down the cavern. "Gather up what you need and meet me back here. I'll take you to the meeting point."

With that Sasuke smirked and continued towards his cuarters. The mission was already getting off to a good start.

I hope you liked it or at least found it semi-decent. I dedicate a lot of time to brainstorming and editing as I at least hope that the payoff merits it. With that being said, for those who liked it, updates will be slow as I work a full-time job and study ontop of putting a lot of time into the afforementioned processes.

Somehow I have the feeling that the Tsunade I wrote here is out of character.

Anyway, I'm not so much of an artist that I'm not open to suggestions. Feel free to leave any.