"Well that's the last of the Bijuu Guards sent off to find their bijuu," says Deidara as she and Kakuzu sit in a tree watching Kokuo's Guards run through the forest to find Han of the Steam Style. "Now if only we had something else to blow up, un."
"Technically, we still have one set of bijuu guards left," says Kakuzu. "We do not know where Isobu or his Guards are."
"Oh well," shrugs Deidara. "Maybe word will get around and they'll crawl out of the woodwork, un."
"Did you feel that?" asks Kakuzu, just as Deidara feels the rinnegan summon from Rain.
"Yes, un," says Deidara. "We'd best get ready to transport ourselves." She touches the chakra rod stuck in her ear-lobe like an earring. "I wonder what I will get to blow up!"
Kazuzu touches his own chakra rod. "We are ready," he says. Deidara knows that the message is relayed to Rain, but it looks like Kakuzu is talking to himself.
Deidara and Kakuzu wait for a few minutes. Then Deidara hears the voices of other members of Akatsuki saying that they too are ready. A different chakra pulses through the chakra rod - one that does not belong to Rain. However, the chakra pulls Deidara and Kakuzu through space. Deidara and Kakuzu materialize in a burst of smoke. When the smoke clears, Deidara sees a battlefield. They are at a temple surrounded by a wall of fire. Covering the ground between the temple and the barrier is an army of white monsters with green hair. Standing at the foot of a ruined staircase is a group of creepy zombies. At the top of the stairs is a barrier with four people inside. From the top of the ruined temple stairs to the bottom, Leaf Shinobi, Sand Shinobi, Bijuu guards and a bunch of weird hippies and crazy people are standing off against the white army. Close to the barrier, two red haired women, one of whom is a zombie, are attacking each other fiercely. Two other zombies (who look like the first two Hokages) are chasing around a weird plant monster.
All of Akatsuki is assembled, with the exception of Rain. Wind gets up and goes to stand with the rest of Akatsuki. Her mask is off and Deidara can't help staring at her face. She did not expect Wind to have purple tattoos.
Nagato Uzumaki, Yahiko, Konan, Kisame Hoshigaki, Deidara, Kakuzu, Wind, Zabuza Momoshi, Haku, Suigetsu Hozuki, Kabuto Yakushi and Nono Yakushi. All but one of Akatsuki stands at the top of the temple stairs, ready to join the battle.
"Akatsuki is here," says Yahiko. "Where is Black Zetsu?"
"We are here," says the plant monster, Black Zetsu. He stops running away from the first two Hokages so he can chat. The Hokage's obligingly stop chasing him. "It is still not too late to join us, Nagato."
"Why me specifically?" demands Nagato calmly. "Every time we meet, you single me out. Why?"
"Because those rinnegan are not your own eyes," says Black Zetsu. "They were a gift from a man who hoped to train you to be his follower. Unfortunately, Obito and Rin ruined our plan to recruit you."
"But...But...If they are not my eyes, then whose eyes are they?" asks Nagato, taking a half step back in surprise.
"They are Madara Uchiha's eyes," says Black Zetsu. "He gave them to you after a childhood disease left you blind. All your parents know about it is that a kind old man donated his eyes to their little boy. You were the first compatible child we found, and after decades of searching. However, the rinnegan lay dormant until your parents were killed in front of you. And so we left you, watching from a distance, to suffer and see the world for what it really is. But rather than turn on the world and walk the path we planned for you, Nagato, you went the opposite way. Now we are left with only one option. Join us Nagato, or we will be forced to kill you and take back Madara's eyes."
Deidara rolls her eye. She can't roll her mechanical eye, otherwise she would roll both eyes. "Agh, enough talk! I'm going to fight, un."
"Then blow up as many white clones as you can," says the Hokage. "Be as explosive as you like."
"Sweet," Deidara say, sticking her hands in her clay pouches. Her hand-mouths start chewing up clay for some magnificent art.
"Nagato," says the Hokage sternly. "You had better not join Black Zetsu."
"Fugaku," says Nagato, equally sternly. "I thought you had more faith in me."
"Fly, my pretties!" says Deidara, launching her tiny clay birds into the air. "Go and become art!"
"Art?" says one of the reanimations, a flawless red headed man. "You like art?"
"YES!" screams Deidara, gleefully. A fellow artist! Hooray! "ART IS AN EXPLOSION! BOOM!" As she says 'boom', all of Deidara's clay birds explode, taking out several dozen white clones.
"Ignorant brat!" snaps the reanimation. "Art is eternal beauty! Art is a perfectly crafted puppet! Art is something that will endure forever!"
"Who do you think you are?!" demands Deidara. "You're dead, what could you possibly know about art! And don't call me brat, you look like you can't be much older than I am!"
"I am Sasori of the Red Sand," says the reanimation. "I was destroying villages before you were potty-trained, girl. I know more about art than you could possibly dream of knowing. Art is eternal beauty!"
"I am Deidara of the Explosion Style!" boasts Deidara, shaking her fist at Sasori. "How dare you claim to know more about art than I do! ART IS A FLEETING MOMENT OF BEAUTY! ART IS AN EXPLOSION!" Deidara grabs some more exploding clay and starts molding it onto bombs. "FIGHT ME!"
"With pleasure," says Sasori, spreading his arms out. A hundred white zetsu clones rise off the ground, protesting in indignation. "I do not have puppets, but these white things will be more than sufficient to destroy you." The clones fly towards Deidara, every single one poised to attack.
Deidara throws her bombs at them. The bombs meet the clones in mid air, exploding on impact. Just over half of the clones are blown away by the blast. Sasori raises more clones to replace the ones Deidara destroyed. Deidara readies more explosives. This reanimation is going down.
Fugaku waits patiently for the next group of reinforcements from the Hidden Leaf to signal him. The new additions to the attacking army are powerful. They need reinforcements, and they need them now.
While he waits, Fugaku watches the battle unfold. The reanimations are not in too big of a hurry to fight with anyone. It is possible that the person controlling the jutsu is only able to control the reanimations to a certain extent. If that is the case, then the jutsu caster will most likely wait and see if the reanimations will pick their own fights like Sasori did before forcing them to fight.
The newly arrived Sand ninjas are all staring at the reanimated Sand ninja. Yashamaru glares up at Rasa.
"Feel free to kick his ass," says Fugaku, jerking his thumb at Rasa. "Unfortunately, I am supposed to be his ally, so I can't right now."
"Rasa," says Yashamaru, pulling out a kunai. Apparently, some reanimations were supplied with weapons while some were not. "You're gonna die."
"As if you could kill me," says Rasa, crossing his arms. "I know your limits well because you were my right hand man in life."
"Right hand man?" says Fugaku, thinking. "I don't have one of those anymore. I left her behind when I became Hokage." Fugaku thinks for a moment then he calls out, "Hey, Kakashi!"
"Yes, Lord Hokage?" says Kakashi, cutting down a white zetsu with a kunai.
"From now on, you are my right hand man."
"Yes Lord Hokage," says Kakashi, with a little sigh, and goes back to cutting down zetsu clones.
Rasa and Yashamaru charge each other. Their kunai meet in mid air, sending sparks flying in all directions.
That makes three reanimations engaged in battle. Fugaku is sure the rest will pick fights soon. Akatsuki appears to be assessing the situation and sizing up the reanimations.
Fugaku feels a pulse of chakra through his chakra receptor rod. The next wave of reinforcements is ready. Fugaku pours his chakra into the jutsu as he slaps his hand on the ground and yells, "Rinnegan Summoning jutsu!"
Smoke explodes from the ground in a huge, white cloud. When it clears, the smoke reveals a mere six people. Those people are Hiashi Hyuuga in all his tenseigan-bearing glory, Hana Inuzuka and her ninja hound, Kurenai Yuhi, Asuma Sarutobi, Deputy Kinoko Uchiha and Kinoko's adopted son Kimimaro.
"Hello Kimimaro," says Kabuto Yakushi, smiling at the weird boy. "You look much better than last time I saw you. How have you been?"
Kimimaro smiles. "The Uzumaki Queen cured me," he says. Then he gestures to Kinoko. "This is my adoptive mother, Kinoko Uchiha. She adopted both myself and Juugo." Then he frowns. "That cloak...you work for Akatsuki?"
"I do indeed," says Kabuto. Then he gestures to Nono Yakushi, someone Fugaku has not seen since the Third Great ninja war. "This is my adoptive mother, Nono Yakushi. I began working for Akatsuki after they saved my mother and I from Danzo."
"Ah, everybody's least favourite asshole," says Fugaku, nodding. "Now, Hiashi, until Shisui brings in his group of reinforcements, I will not be joining the battle. Gaara is the only other Kage here. Listen to Gaara."
"Right," nods Hiashi, cracking his knuckles. "Gaara, let's do this."