And here be #6. I think you'll like the surprise I tossed in at the end. Enjoy!

Chapter 6

"Whew. Talk about your close encounters." said Deidara as they got closer to the main gate of the village.

"No kidding." Trunks replied.

"Man, Trunks-senpai, you sure showed them earlier, huh?" asked Tobi.

"Hey! Who got us out of there?" asked an annoyed Deidara. "That pink-haired girl does have a pretty nasty punch. You blocking that was pretty cool, yeah."

"It really wasn't that strong..." he said. That other guy though, what was his name? Shikamaru? His words still ran through his head. "Did you hit your head or something? Don't act like sealing away and killing the jinchuriki is a good thing! That kind of power is worse than any kind of bomb you're thinking of!" Killing? Does sealing the beast away kill the host?

"Not for a fellow artist like yourself, yeah." he smirked.

"Artist?" he thought out loud.

"You remember our fight with Tokaku and his hunter-nin? That blast... that explosion, it was art. True, real art, yeah!"

I guess? Trunks thought to himself. "Oh, heh, thanks."

X X X

"You are putting too much pressure on Sasori. Stop. Yeah, come on, give the guy a break."

The Illusive Man rubbed his temples. "I'm not forcing Sasori to do anything at this point. I simply presented my proposition and showed him what he could gain from it."

"Yeah, he hasn't stopped working since he came back. He's a real hard worker isn't he? How is he doing this from the ground up?"

"Kabuto's blood sample. I preserved it once Madara handed it over to me, that way it was fresh even after the years of waiting."

"That blood sample only grants abilities, it can't bring someone back to life. You understand this, do you not?"

"Naturally. No, rather, I'm only using the blood catalyst to freely reinstate life within the individual. Firstly, Sasori is extracting any unnecessary chromosomes from the serum before beginning the real one, so he told me. The diversity of the Haruno girl's blood is extraordinary, but it is only half of what I need, and that is where Sasori comes in."

"What's he doing?"

"He's working on a Reanimation Jutsu sub-type. Something that grants the same ability without the drawback of harm to the caster. Even more so, we're not even trying to find a jutsu itself, but rather a simple medical process. Something we can use on a person to completely bring them back to life, without the use of chakra or life force. Completely devoid of any repercussions."

"That's cool! How long is this going to take? We still need to find the last two jinchuriki."

"You'll have to check with Sasori himself, though he seems... driven."

"The Hokage and the Raikage will not let this go easily. We'll need a plan, they've beaten us before, and most of their shinobi have gotten stronger."

The Illusive Man smirked as he stood up, lightning a cigarette and inhaling the smoke before releasing it. His eyes glowed a bright steely-blue, much to the irritation of Zetsu's eyes. "Leave that to me."

X X X

Shikamaru quickly bolted to keep up with Kiba as they were nearing the edge of the village. Deidara along with Tobi and this new guy they called Trunks were moving too quick for him to get any real gain on them. Kiba on the other hand, was fairly determined.

This plan got tossed together real quick. At the very least, I hope we can get one of them. he thought as he jumped on the last roof before jumping higher up to the gate of the village, jumping over it and began hopping through trees.

I gotta get these guys. Kiba thought. I know that kunai hit him. How did he just block it though? And with just his finger? That's impossible... I need to step it up when I catch up.

In that instant, an enormous black wall shot up in front of Deidara's bird, halting the three from flight as they braked. It was tall, wide, and... buzzing?

Alright, looks like it's working. Shikamaru thought as he saw the tall structure looming over the forest.

Down below, Shino kept his arms raised as his insect flooded from his arms to reinforced the wall he had made to halt the fleeing Akatsuki.

"Hinata." he said, glancing up. "Is it them?"

"Um." Hinata said, quickly activating her Byakugan as she examined the three bodies halted before the wall, on top of the large clay bird. "Yes. The same chakra... but one of them is different."

"Huh? Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yes... it's... I'm not even sure if it's chakra, dear." she said as she gazed into it. It was... different. Strong, scary strong, and a lot of it.

"I see." he said, turning his head to the side. "Naruto, Ino."

"Ready." Ino said.

"Let's do it!" added on Naruto.

The two blondes bolted far down the forest until they were right behind the wall of insects. They nodded at each other as Ino grabbed Naruto's hands and held them together. Her strength wasn't as great as Sakura's was, but she learned fairly quickly and they weren't far enough to where she might miss or have to strain herself. She quickly spun around, and around, and around.

"Here... You... GO!" she yelled as she let him go, stumbling a bit from her dizziness as Naruto shot up like a bullet towards the wall.

Taking the last step into action, Naruto pulled his palm out as he focused his chakra together until a quick and large Rasengan was spinning in his right hand.

"Shino!"

"Got you."

With one flick of his finger, Shino opened a hole large enough for Naruto to shoot through, taking the three Akatsuki completely off guard as he shot straight towards them.

"Damn it!" said Deidara. "Not you!"

By instinct, Trunks pushed Deidara down, Tobi was out of range, so Trunks simply took a stance as Naruto flew closer to them at a rather impressive speed.

"RASENGAN!"

Trunks caught Naruto's wrist with his left, the rotating ball of chakra merely inches away from his face, blowing his long hair in several directions as they locked each other in a hard stare.

This attack... Is this an older version of the Kamehameha? I've never seen such concentration of energy before in such a small attack. He's definitely stronger than he looks.

"Trunks, behind you!" said Deidara as he pointed.

Trunks quickly turned and looked up to see Kiba high above them with his arms crossed in an X shape fashion.

"We're stopping this, right now!" he called to them. "Third Gate: Release!"

Tossing his arms to his sides, Kiba's hair flew up in a violent storm that was being released only in his body as his skin quickly reddened.

"What? His power just went through the roof!" Trunks said, still holding Naruto's wrist.

With no time to react, Kiba quickly dove into Trunks' face with his fist, knocking him off of the clay bird along with Naruto as they all fell to the forest below them.

Kiba and Naruto landed on their feet, quickly looking around, wondering where Trunks was.

"You see him?" Kiba asked as his hair and skin color returned to normal.

"No! Agh, we had him!"

"You sure about that?"

Naruto and Kiba quickly turned around to see Trunks standing with his arms crossed, his hair dancing with the wind.

"Who are you!" demanded Naruto.

"My name's Trunks. Oh, and whoever has the dog, tell him to come out or attack me already, I could sense his energy miles away."

Kiba growled as he clenched his fist. How did this guy know where Akamaru was? Did he have a heightened sense of smell like he did? It didn't seem like it, he would have known more than likely. Yet when Kiba smelt him, there was nothing, nothing pertaining to fear, nervousness, anxiety, anything. It was almost as if... he wanted them to attack him.

"Naruto." Kiba said quietly to him. "There's something really wrong about this guy. He's not scared at all, and earlier he caught Sakura's punch like it was a bouncy ball."

"What? Are you sure she was trying?"

He nodded. "Trust me, after being married for thirteen years, I don't even need to ask. I can smell it on her, and she was giving that guy everything she had."

Akamaru finally emerged from the bush behind Naruto and Kiba and took to his master's side.

"I wanted to avoid crossing paths with him. I'm sorry I had you worried." said Akamaru.

"It's okay." Kiba replied, still glaring at Trunks who wasn't at all worried about Shino, Hinata, Ino, and Shikamaru jumping down from behind him.

"!" Hinata gasped as she examined his chakra. It had since become more exposed. It was strong, surging, and constant. We can't beat him... Even if we all... He's so much stronger than all of us!

"Alright, that does it!" said Naruto as he brought his index and middle finger on both hands together to make a cross. "Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Immediately the entire opened forest area filled up with copies of Naruto. Easily over a hundred, all jumping down and rushing towards Trunks, several drawing kunais while others threw shurikens or readied for a punch.

His expression never changed once as the first of the clones raised his kunai and slammed it down, only to come into contact with the grass as all the other clones looked up to see Trunks flying up several feet, finally stopping a few feet above the forest.

"He can... fly?" Shikamaru thought out loud.

"Ah man, not good." said Kiba.

The clones simply yelled as they jumped up towards the Saiyan, unaware of what he was about to do.

Exceeding an incredible amount of speed, Trunks took his arms out and began moving them around... quickly. The shinobi from below watched as it seemed Trunks was performing some insanely long and fast hand sign, until he finally stopped with his hands opened, the space in between the connection of his index finger and thumb the concentration of the energy.

"Burning..." he said loudly.

"Everyone move! Now!" yelled Hinata.

"ATTACK!" finished Trunks. The second the sound of the K left his mouth, an intense amount of energy shot from his hands and towards the clones, immediately vaporizing them and the remaining clones before any of them could register what was happening.

Like Hinata ordered before the attack commenced, the shinobi below jumped a good distance from the spot as the blast landed on the ground, completely tearing the ground apart, blowing several trees out of the ground and knocking others over. The violent wind shot rocks, twigs, and leaves in every direction at such a speed they could cause an annoying amount of pain if they came into contact with someone standing.

"You done messing around?"

Trunks turned to the side to see Deidara and Tobi on top of the bird. He nodded his head and floated over to it, taking a seat, his forehead dripping with sweat as he heaved for air.

"Gee, Trunks, you don't look that great." said Tobi.

I'm exhausted. Why did that attack take so much out of me? I know I wasn't going all out, I wasn't trying to kill them.

"Yeah, he's right. What's up with you?" Deidara asked.

Trunks started breathing heavily from exhaustion, completely unsure of why he was like this. "I have... no idea. That attack wasn't that powerful, I've used it before and been fine. But for some reason now, it's completely taken a lot out of me."

Tobi and Deidara looked at each other, shrugging their shoulders in unison.

This is weird. I need to find out what's going on with me. But first things first, I need to pay the Illusive Man a visit and find out what his deal is.

X X X

"Everyone okay?" asked Kiba.

Coughs and grunts were heard across the smokescreen produced by the energy blast shot by Trunks, but he could still smell everyone was there with him. Akamaru stood up, shaking himself to get as much dust off as possible.

He noticed Naruto wasn't next to him and walked to the other side where everyone else was, only to trip and almost fall into a large hole produced by Trunks' attack. It was only a few minutes later when the smoke had cleared that the "hole" in the ground was actually an eight by eight foot crater, several feet deep into the ground. Everyone was standing on the other side, in equal surprise and shock.

"He did that with just one blast?" Kiba thought out loud.

"That didn't look like chakra. Something about his attack was different." said Shino.

"Maybe he's a lightning user?" Ino suggested.

"No." said Naruto, standing by his wife's side. "Not a lightning style, but I think Shino's right... something about this guy was different."

"His chakra structure looked nothing like any of the other shinobi we've encountered."

Everyone turned and glanced at Hinata. Kiba and Akamaru finally made their way around the large crater and regrouped with the rest of them.

"What do you mean, Hinata?" asked Kiba.

"There were no chakra points... none, whatsoever. It was like a river that constantly rippled from the center of his body." she answered.

"What? But how does-" Kiba started but stopped as he held his head, soothing a sudden throbbing. The drawbacks of the gates were much better to him than they were thirteen years ago when he first started learning to use it from Guy, but he was always tired after he used them. The headaches were occasional, but nothing a night of sleeping never fixed.

"You alright?" Shino asked.

"Yeah... Yeah, I'm just out of it." he said, getting on top of Akamaru. "They're already gone, their scent is way out there now. We should let the Hokage know."

"Hang on a second, Kiba." said Shikamaru. "You're obviously pretty drained. You should get back home, we'll let her know what happened."

Kiba yawned. "Yeah, alright. Thanks."

X X X

"I swear." whined Hidan as he and Kakuzu sat in the main living quarters for the Akatsuki hideout. "It's been two fucking weeks and we're already chasing people in your gay little bingo book! Why do you even have me come along? You know I hate that shit, shit! It's a total sin!"

Kakuzu ignored him for the moment as he crossed another name out of the bingo book he had carried. His stitched up smile widened as he crossed out the name and picture of another missing-nin that was killed while he was dead.

"Stay then. No one makes you come." he replied.

"What? Ah, come on, Kakuzu, you know I'm just fucking with you... kinda."

They paused and turned to the entrance as Deidara and Tobi walked in, Trunks right behind them.

"Hey, it's you." Hidan said to Trunks. "Looks like they didn't get you. Tougher than I thought."

Trunks smirked. "I'm fine, thanks."

His face quickly returned to his annoyed expression before he entered. He had a bone to pick with the Illusive Man for leaving him completely alone and never showing up like he had said he would.

"I'll be back." he said, walking towards Zetsu's office.

"Huh?" Hidan thought as he walked by them and headed up the stairs to their leader's office. "What's his deal?" he glanced at Tobi and Deidara, who simply shrugged their shoulders.

X X X

"He got away?" Tsunade asked harshly at Sakura, keeping Tenten up for support.

"Yes, Lady Tsunade. It was my fault." Sakura replied. "When Deidara broke the light and got himself free, I didn't grab him fast enough."

"It wasn't just him." Tenten spoke up. "That Tobi guy was there, too. Plus that new guy? Trunks? He was doing some really weird stuff that I've never seen before."

"What kind of stuff?" asked the Hokage.

"He blocked one of Kiba's kunais with one finger. It didn't even cut him." said Sakura. "He blocked one of my strongest hits with just one hand. He didn't even flinch when he did it."

An Earth user who knows the Steel Skin Jutsu? No... not likely if he was able to block something from Kiba. And even I can break through Steel Skin... and Sakura's strength has surpassed even my own now.

"Lady Tsunade?"

"Hm? What is it, Sakura?"

"Oh, nothing, you were just sort of dazing off."

Tsunade cleared her throat. "I see. Yes, it's been a long day. We'll worry about this tomorrow. Tenten, get some rest and stay off that leg until tomorrow when we can heal it. Sakura, make sure she makes it home."

"Yes ma'am." they replied together.

As the two kunoichis left, Tsunade gripped the bridge of her nose, remembering just an hour ago the frightening news Shizune had brought to her attention.

(One hour ago)

"Lady Tsunade!" Shizune yelled, barging into the office in a swell of panic.

"What is it?"

"It's Suna!" she said. "An ANBU from their village was seen unconscious close by our own. He won't stop talking about some sort of freakish attack going on."

"What?" Tsunade asked, her eyes filled with shock as she stood up. "Take me to him, now."

X X X

"No, no, you can't- You can't stop him. You run, and run, and run, and BAM! That's when he gets you!"

The Suna ANBU was forced to be strapped down as Inoichi desperately tried to get any information out of him.

"Anything yet?" asked Ibiki.

"No. It's too bunched together. I'm getting too many images and thoughts at once." he replied as he kept his hand on the man's head.

"You got my head. Hehehehe, sometimes he gets your chest, or your back, or your neck- he doesn't care! He eats, and eats, and EATS until there's nothing left! Shizaku, Ryko, I'm so sorry! I couldn't save you guys, I was so scared." he whimpered, trying to move his body, unable to due to the heavy straps keeping him down.

"Hold on." said Inoichi. "I think I got something, Ibiki."

Lady Tsunade entered the room and approached Inoichi, waiting for him to finish his mind reading. Finally finishing a few minutes later, he took an exhausted sigh.

"He ate them, sucked them right out of their clothes! Water Style, Fire Style, Earth Style- SOLAR FLARE- Dead now, all dead! Only me, why me? Where's Lord Kazekage? No, Lord Gaara can't beat him, he'll get the sting, too! Sting sting, bing bing! Hahahahahahaha!"

"Well?" she asked.

Inoichi shook his head. "Nothing's clear. Just civilians running and screaming. The only thing that was clear in his memory was him and his two comrades fighting some creature. It killed his comrades and several others. From the looks of it, he was the only survivor."

"He said something about 'the sting.' Did you see anything?" the Hokage asked.

"Yeah... Yeah, I did. Whatever this thing is, it's got a gruesome way of finishing people off. The way it killed his comrades, it would stab them and drain the person out completely, leaving only their clothes. It explains the hundreds of pairs of clothes scattered about the village I also saw before I saw this, as well."

"Akatsuki?"

"I doubt it, since the Akatsuki are only after the jinchurikis. No... Something much, much worse." said Inoichi. "Whatever it is, it matches the cases we've been receiving about small villages suddenly losing their entire populations."

Tsunade glanced over at the unmasked ANBU member, laughing hysterically to himself as he tried to wiggle around in his restraints.

He's completely lost it. she thought. "Alright. We need to send a team in, right now. Reconnaissance only, but engage if they encounter whatever this is. We have to find out what's causing this and get to the bottom of it before it strikes again!"

(Back to the present)

Whatever this... thing... is. We have to stop it.

X X X

Complete, and absolute silence. The breeze of the desert would roll in, carrying away small articles of clothing. A stroller rolled across the street and stopped in the middle of the road. A large hole could be seen in the middle of the tiny outfit within. Another hole could be seen on a large shirt, the sleeves still holding onto the stroller.

"Huff, huff."

Kankuro had been on this street before. Was he running in circles? Gaara, where'd you go? We can't stay away like this!

Something fell and caught his attention, he turned quickly with his scorpion puppet ready on hand. He had no idea what was going on. He had only just gotten back from a mission when he saw the front gates, and his first glimpse at the few of many victims. When he found Gaara, they traveled closely together to hopefully find out who was behind this, but got separated shortly after that.

Luckily, nothing was there. That's also what scared him, nothing but a street filled with empty clothes laying all across the road, and not a sound escaped the village. Even infants, children, and the elderly. No one was spared. It sickened him, and shamed him to know that he was not here to protect anybody.

He ran to the end of the street corner after hearing a bottle fall and shatter on the ground. He opened the door and glanced inside.

It was a bar, one that he had quite a few memories here with his sister when she would visit from Konoha. Only this time, new memories seared their way into his head. Tables were overturned, more clothes laid on the ground, the tables, even the bar itself. He stepped inside and knelt down, examining one set of clothes. It was a robe, from a Suna ANBU. Next to it were two others, their masks not too far apart from each other.

"There's holes in the robes... just like everything else." he thought to himself. He slammed his fist into the ground. "How the hell did this happen? How could all these people..."

He glanced up again, noticing more casualties in the building. It was a frightening sight to him, and most likely to anyone else who would see it. A city, a great nation, had become a graveyard. ANBU robes, shinobi outfits, even a wheelchair sat on the other side of the bar. No one was spared, and that's what angered him the most.

After examining a few more pairs of clothes, he shouted for survivors a few time in the bar, but received no response.

"I should check, at least." he said to himself as he made his way up the stairs.

The upstairs scared him even more. The darkness of the outside only added to it, as the power was cut off during the attack, leaving everything difficult to see in the confined spaces. Finally reaching a door, he turned the knob and entered the room. A dim candle lit the room, and the puppet master gazed upon a bed. The sheets were ruffled with, and the scattered lingerie suggested this room was used for services. The hole directly in the middle of the bed, that piercing size of a puncture was all Kankuro needed to see to realize whatever it was that did this, it had claimed these unfortunate souls as well.

No one... even children, elderly... disabled, everyone's dead. How? he thought. "HELLO! Anyone still here? I'm a shinobi, is anyone still here? Anyone?"

Silence.

"Fuck. It was worth a shot." he said to himself.

He made his way downstairs and towards the door, taking care to listen closely to anything that may surprise him. He never knew, this thing may have been following him this entire time, and he was not about to be added to the list.

But something caught his eye. At the edge of the bar, facing closest to the door, was a piece of paper. He picked up the paper and glanced at it, then figuring out it was a picture. The moonlight helped make the image a bit clearer, but the image itself was hard to make out.

All he could see was a tail. A long tail, the end of it deep inside the chest of a Suna ANBU member. A few pairs of clothes were on the ground, and several others were running, or too terrified to move. Kankuro glanced up at the one pair of clothes laying on top of the bar he saw when he came in, figuring that was the person who took it.

"You knew someone would come." he said to the clothes. "Don't worry, we're gonna find out who the hell did all this."

He stepped out of the bar and into the open again. The image of that picture, even the ANBU had no chance against them. Suna was not the strongest nation of the five, but it wasn't incapabl of defending itself. Yet for some reason, an entire hidden village laid empty and quiet. The tail he saw, and what it did to the shinobi defending, it angered him knowing he wasn't there to do something.

"But... what could I have done, anyway?"

"Nothing."

Kankuro shot around to see a long tail shooting towards him, a sharp stinger extended as it headed for his chest.

He nimbly side-stepped the attack and glanced at the tail as it shot past him. What the hell? What is that thing? Is that what got everybody? The tail swung back and went for his back, but Kankuro was ready for it this time, throwing himself forward on the ground as it shot past him, shoving himself up immediately after in case it was going to come around for another attack.

The tail retracted itself, Kankuro following its path with his eyes as it finally ended at the one who wielded it.

What he saw, he never even imagined in nightmares. The two sections of his head shot off in different directions. His body was colored of an assorted light and dark green mix. range colored parts near his abdominal area, and over the back of his head. He had two wings at his back, reaching down past his legs, a dark green littered with black spots all over it. His mouth had an orifice-like appearance to it, also orange. His eyes a piercing light shade of red. By all accounts, he had very compatible human characteristics, five fingers, standing on two legs, but he was more of a humanoid variation of a cicada.

"Not bad." it said. "You're the first one that's been able to dodge that. And here I was thinking this would be all too easy."

"Yeah, well I typically play hard to get." Kankuro said back. "Who are you?"

He chuckled to himself. "My dear boy. You won't be alive long enough to remember."

"Wanna BET?" he shouted as he moved his fingers in assorted directions, the scorpion puppet flying straight towards the creature as it unleashed a barrage of poison-tipped kunais and shurikens. The projectiles crashed straight into the target, merely to bounce right off with absolutely no effect. The scorpion puppet pulled out a long katana, thrusting it into the chest of the creature, only for the blade to completely snap in half upon contact.

"What the?"

The creature laughed at its futile attacks. "I take back what I said. You're merely a step above too easy."

He then grabbed the puppet by the throat, staring into it. "You fight with puppets, is that it? What a mindless waste of talent." he said as he yanked the puppet completely off of the chakra strings Kankuro had on him, tossing it to the side.

"Much better." he added on. "Now then..." he began stepping to him, a starving look in his eyes set upon the puppet master as he held his ground, knowing he may very well be the last shinobi in the village.

"What is this guy?" he asked out loud.

"Mmm, do not fear for those who I have killed. They are a part of something great now, a perfect being that is slowly climbing the latter to its prime power until it can return home to claim what is rightfully his." he said to him. "I am merely the consumer."

"You... You're a fucking freak! You killed ALL of these people? WHY?" he demanded.

"I think that's enough questions for now. All will be revealed when you are a part of me. Now then... it is time."

His tail shot ahead from his back straight towards the puppet master at an incredible speed. With no time to take his scrolls out to call on more puppets, Kankuro quickly pulled a kunai out as he assumed a defensive stance, ready to duck and roll again when it came close enough.

But suddenly, the tail stopped. Kankuro covered his eyes from the irritation he was receiving. It felt like... like sand.

"Hm?" the creature asked loudly in annoyance. He turned his head around to see a man close to him with his arms crossed. He wore full-length dark trousers, a long-sleeved crimson coat with flaring hemlines on the front and the back, a grey holster vest held in place by a single strap over his left shoulder and by two buckled belts which appeared to be the support of a very large gorge on his back.

"Looks like I missed another one." he said out loud, turning to face him in his direction.

"You're the one responsible for this." said Gaara.

"Indeed. Now then, my friend, what can I do for you?"

The sand that had stopped his tail separated into five clouds of sand, connected by the long extension from his gorge. Without time to react, the creature was caught, his hands, feet, and tail gripped by Gaara's sand as he stood there with his hands still folded, his eyes coldly fixed on avenging his people.

"Before I kill you." Gaara said. "Tell me... Who are you? Are you Akatsuki?"

Amused by the Kazekage's little act of attempting to restrain him, he grunted loudly, his eyes bulging from the amount of energy he gathered as he broke completely free of the hold. His tail quickly shot ahead towards Gaara, reaching to about a foot away from his face before the sand smacked the tail away.

"Try again." Gaara said stiffly.

He chuckled "I think that's enough for now." he said, caressing his hands after being trapped for the brief moment they were. "You're the last two people in this delicious village. I will grace you with the knowledge of myself like you have requested before I swallow you up. Think of it as a prize for being the last ones standing."

Gaara didn't flinch, though inside he was surprised he was able to break out of that hold so easily. This thing was abnormal, powerful, and worse... It was only him and his brother left in the entire village. If they went down... no one would know about this thing. It would continue to eat until everyone was sucked up.

The creature smiled to himself as his tongue ran across his thin orange lips.

"My name is Cell. I'm an android."

END!

Yep! I did it! Cell vs Gaara? This should be interesting! For those who are wondering about Cell, don't worry, I'll explain everything in the next chapter. (Like, where the F did he come from, right?) Anyway that's about it, please review, and I'll see you guys next time!