(Wow this is a longest one yet and a battle royal! I do not own Naruto if I did the lawyers would've take it away from me by now)
"It was Sakura, but," Shikamaru started to explain to shocked Kakashi, Tsunade, and Naruto "but it wasn't her…I don't know how to explain it. It was too perfect to be a transformation jutsu or genjutsu but, it wasn't the girl I once knew." Choji lay sleeping in a cot next to Shikamaru, Tsunade had nearly healed from yesterdays attack and managed to save the young mans life, Sasori had only used his old poison. "That wasn't all, the Akatsuki member we have believed to be dead…Sasori, he is back and well as alive as he can be," Shikamaru continued. Tsunade shook her head "I was sure he was dead, I thought it was a miracle a very young and very old woman where able to defeat the terror of the red sands, this may have gone further back then we thought," she hypothesized. Naruto's head dropped feeling even more depressed to hear another close friend has turned to the enemies of the leaf. "She may be doing things against her will then, he was the most accomplished puppet master the world has ever seen, that man was noted to manipulate nations not just puppets," Kakashi suggested hoping their was more truth to his statement for all their sake.
"DIE YOU FUCKING WOODEN…" the head of Hidan swore at Sasori as he extracted the organs that held the charka that would make his newest puppet indestructible. The last piece needed was taken from his head, silencing the once constant stream of profanity. Sasori knew what Sakura was thinking and wanted her to voice it out "yes my doll, what is it?" "I was thinking, each Akatsuki member has a, has a sin, Kakuzu was greed, Deidara lusted for perfection, Hidan was wrath…." Sakura said slowly passively watching Sasori work on a newest puppet. "And what would be my sin?" Sasori ask curious. "I think we both share that sin now, envy," she said. Sasori nodded his head "makes sense, well we all appeased our sins somehow, I do so with my art, I'll enjoy seeing how you try to appease your new found sin," he commented. Sakura was finding she was getting impatient with Sasori's careful work, the never changing unfeeling state made moments seem uncomfortably boring when nothing was happening, she guessed that was the reason why he was so irate about punctuality. "I know you where originally kicked out your village for using dead bodies to make puppets but did you start killing before or after you became a puppet?" She asked. Sasori replied blankly "after why?" "Honestly, to pass the boredom, but I was curios, I guess becoming a puppet changes anybody in many more ways then they realize," Sakura said looking at the nearly completed Hidan puppet. Sasori shrugged "would have sense I have considered it before though being unique made it hard to tell if it would just be me it affected, I must say you have learned to imitate life faster then I did, I took me years before I did anything other then that was strictly necessary, maybe being the second make things easier." "Well this envy…it makes me angry they have what I don't, it makes me want to take what they have away from them," Sakura said ending the odd discussion. Sasori finished his work soon after they ended there "conversation." Sakura felt better now that they where setting out back to the hidden leaf.
"Hokage-sama an eagle scout has spotted two nins in black cloaks that match the descriptions twenty five Kilometers SSW heading towards the village," the messenger reported to the grim faced Tsunade. Tsunade leaned back in her chair, her room was a mess no one had the time to repair the office yet. "I will deal with my rouge apprentice alone, and send Kakashi with every nin we can spare against Sasori, he will need it, that man from reports has ruthlessly conquered whole countries and now as far as we know possess the power of three known former Akatsuki members not to mention the power of the former Kazekage," she ordered formulating a logical plan. The messenger bowed and turned to leave. "Wait I need Naruto to stay here, I know he is powerful and would be useful but, I don't know if he could control his emotions, also Sasori could have tricks up his sleeve I don't want to leave the village unguarded," she commended. She knew she would have to deal with an angry Naruto but this was for the best.
Sasori could tell that they where about to be attacked, he knew they had been spotted but he knew things would go a whole lot faster if the hidden leaf made the first move. Sakura knew the plan Sasori had the moment he had conceived it. "Hai, I'll lead away the leader of the group and you deal with the brunt of the force," she said even before he asked anything from her. "Good I'd like to test and see how well Kakuzu and Hidan work together, and by the way I'm sure with force this size I'm sure either of your former teachers or even both will be their," that all he needed to say to motivate his precious doll. She moved a head hoping she could gloat the strike forces leader into single combat, if that didn't work Sasori would sweep in and force that choice on them.
Sakura was able to see them approach from a distance with her enhanced eyesight she knew Sasori was ready inside Hiroko right beside her. She was excited to see Tsunade was leading them. She waited till they could see them before she turned and ran. She new Tsunade would follow her. "You have your orders, Kakashi you're in charge take him down," Tsunade gave her last order before breaking off from the main attack party. Sasori waited till the majority of the attack force where in the clearing before him he pulled his scarf down and opened Hiroko's mouth and rained poisoned needles on them. The whole force was briefed on his abilities an ANBU member's arm grew into a wall of wood and shielded the group from the deadly hail. Sasori closed his puppets mouth and raised its clubbed arm. He fired out a canister and guided over the barrier, branches rose up and entangled them selves stopping the canister above the attack force. "Too little too late," Sasori though with a smirk as the canister blew up raining the needles on them. Kakashi was quick to react, most of the force where able to doge the needles. "Quick any one who got the slightest scratch from that inject the Hokage antidote!" he ordered. The shinobi where prepared, they injected themselves and helped those too numb get the antidote. Sasori was quite pleased with himself having applied Sakura's upgraded version of his poison, the surprised wails and panic voices questioning why the antidote lady Tsunade prepared herself wasn't working.
"Every one pull back, help the poisoned!" the quick acting Kakashi ordered. Sasori was sure one needle must have stuck the ANBU who was maintaining the wood wall as it was crumbling. Kakashi knowing Sasori had turned there superior numbers against them ordered a full retreat for all lower leveled Shinobi leaving him and a few others. Kakashi motioned to his partner Maito Gai as he pulled down his mask a bit to reveal his sharingan eye, Sasori recognized both of them. This should be entertaining even though they combined strength will most likely seriously delay him he figured. Gai motioned to a younger man beside him, Sasori didn't know who he was but his pale eyes gave his heritage away. The Sharingan and Byakugan at the same time, this will be a feat to be proud of, he thought as the two ran at him coming from either side. He raised his tail striking with amazing speed, Gai was fast enough and the other man saw it coming both dodged the attack. He knew they where merrily distractions but the Byakugan user worried him, he could see his heart piece even through his Hiroko. "Great fire ball Jutsu," Kakashi said making his last seal. The two men backed away from Sasori as the fiery death sped towards its target. Hidden within his puppet Kakashi couldn't see Sasori make the replacement jutsu, as a mount of earth looking like him was incinerated. He opened his mouth and shot a needle at Kakashi and swung his tail at Gai. Kakashi exploded in a puff of smoke, and Sasori found he couldn't manipulate the tail peace. The Byakugan boy saw Sasori's every moment and tapped Hiroko's tail cutting away the chakra flow to it. Kakashi appeared from the earth under Hiroko and pulled him in trapping him. Kakashi flipped back and sealed another fire jutsu onto Hiroko.
Sasori abandoned his puppet leaping safely a few dozen yards away. "Well, I'd expect nothing less of the village that produced my prized possession Sakura," Sasori said turning to face them. They where surprised to see a young man, a teenager before them, but they new he was far older and ageless. "Well seeing since you have faced them before I'd like to see how much they have improved now that they are a part of my collection," he told the trio as he pulled out a scroll labeled Akatsuki. He had the two he wanted to test this occasion ready as two puppets appeared at his sides, Kakuzu, and Hidan. They looked like wooden versions of there old selves, he even keep their Akatsuki cloaks. Kakashi felt a cold shiver run down his spine as he had no wish to face a more dangerous version of Kakuzu. "Like them? I know my collection is incomplete, I'm impatient but I know in time I'll have them all, you three on the other hand will be nothing more then a test," Sasori explained. "Get ready," Kakashi told his comrades as Sasori twitched his fingers. Kakashi could recognize some puppeteer moves from watching Konkuro long ago but they where nothing compared to the complex and delicate motions of each of Sasori's fingers, he could see them all but he had no idea what to expect. The Hidan doll shuddered and made a creepy clicking noise before tentacle like blades sprouted out of its body, at their ends that had small sickle like blades. The four monstrosities climbed their way out of Kakuzu's body. The threaded monsters lurched at Kakashi, the fire and wind combined to give them extra fire power, he tried to escape thought the earth but the earth monster combined with the water one turning earth near him into mud. The Kakuzu puppet turned on Gai before he could aid his comrade, Gai made the mistake of striking the puppet, threads wrapped along his arms and cut into his flesh. The cuts seemed to burn more painfully then they should have as Gai realized that everything Sasori uses is poisoned.
Neji went strait to the source charging at Sasori. He sent his ranged attack at Sasori but the Hidan doll stood in the way. The puppet immediately charged at the Byakugan user lashing out at high speed cutting at him every way possible. Neji was able to dodge every possible attack and when he felt truly threatened he used his chakra whirl to repel every attack. "He is good," Sasori thought "but very young and inexperienced," he concluded, this wasn't the first Byakugan user he had fought. Sasori was careful not to attack him from too many places least he force Neji to perform his whirl as one tentacle worked it way around to his back and positioned itself at the Byakugan blind spot. The blade lashed down in a perfect line where Sasori predicted where he was blind. The blade sliced clean through the third and forth vertebrate in the back of Neji's neck. The young man was in mid stance when he starred out blankly, Sasori assumed it was his imagination but he thought he could hear Hidan's manic laughter.
"NEJI!" a frantic Gai called out entangled in a death drip by the Kakuzu puppet. "There is not point you'll be with him shortly," Sasori plainly said noticing Gai must be poisoned by now. "Get off me!" Gai said to the puppet as a vein near his temple bulged. 'So this is the hidden lotus?' Sasori mentally remarked disengaging the Kakuzu puppet "what's the point now you'll be dead in a matter of–" he started to say before Gai cut him off. "Then their will be reason to hold back," he struggle to say as he opened the second gate within his body. "Gai no!" Kakashi called in between dodges. Sasori had to say it did look impressively powerful as Gai opened the fourth gate, Sasori pulled out his third scroll and summoned the third Kazekage. Gai swing his arms out as the muscles in his body budged the veins clearly visible as earth was broken and tossed around him. Sasori created a wall of solid metal to protecting him. At the seventh gate Gai made his move.
By the time Sasori realized Gai hit the metal wall around himself the man had already broken through but then Gai had already hit him in the face. All Sasori knew is his head spun around in a three sixty. He had the Hidan puppet leap in front of himself forming a puppet shield between himself and Gai. Gai focused on destroying the puppeteer hit the Hidan puppet with his nearly full strength again and again performing the most spectacular morning peacock of his life. The puppet splintered and crumbled into fragments in seconds. Nothing stood between Sasori and Gai as the green halo of energy around him exploded to block out everything Sasori could see "eighth gate…open" he martial artist struggled to say. He hit Sasori square in the chest with his full force blowing the puppet into pieces, every piece of Sasori was blown apart scattering him across the clearing. The puppets he was controlling feel down no longer being controlled. Kakashi was breathing heavily he looked around with his sharingan eye looking for the capsule that could revive the puppeteer. He found it quickly it was glowing brightly with chakra. It was twitching and had a few chakra strings attached to it. Kakashi preformed Chidory and struck the heart piece. He watched it for a few moments to ensure the glow faded. He left it knowing he would better deal with it latter running to his fallen comrades.
Kakashi kneeled by his dyeing comrade, his rival, his friend. "Go to Neji, see him make sure he is alright," Gai instructed. A quick glace from the sharingan told Kakashi that the young prodigy, the man with so much promise to his clan was lost. Kakashi shook his head wishing he had something better to tell his friend in his last moments "…I failed him, tell Lee I couldn't keep the good guy…" Gai started to say sensing this maybe his last chance. "The good guy what?" an impassive voice said from behind them. Kakashi turned in horror as Sasori was finishing reassembling himself. Kakashi glanced at the undamaged heat piece in his chest then at the one he had destroyed laying a few feet behind the puppeteer "a fake?" Kakashi realized. Sasori cocked head to the side and explained "how you ask, I left a string connected between my real heart and this fake one after you destroyed it I simply stopped feeding it my chakra." Gai groaned using what was left of his strength "a good guy promise that was what I made and..." he said lifting his hand giving Sasori a thumbs up and corky smile "remember the name Rock Lee, you may have killed me but through my teachings my student will defeat you, nothing can stop his determination," he promised with his last breath. Sasori cocked his head to the side saying to the remains of Gai "maybe but I doubt he can destroy Sakura, he doesn't sound like he is a monster like me…"
Kakashi could bear no more, he was a calm level head person, but the death of comrades was something that couldn't bear. He yelled out in rage drawing a kunai he charged at Sasori with chidory in the other hand. Sakura throw two set of strings at the pile of Hidan puppet that reformed whole and undamaged as soon as chakra was introduced to it, and the other into the to the Kazekage puppet. The Hidan puppet grabbed a hold of Kakashi chidory hand taking the blow, and the third puppet manipulated the metal kunai. Kakashi punched through Hidan but it changed the path of the fist and he end up striking Sasori's right shoulder and the path of the kunai was changed making him stab Sasori's left shoulder. Sasori looked at the man before him and shock his head thinking him beyond pitiful "what did you hope to achieve, this body feels no pain," he simply said. Sasori managed to get the Kazekage puppet to rip the Kunai from Kakashi's grasp. The kunai cut him along the shoulder as he back away from Sasori with amazing speed. Kakashi had his left eye closed and his hand in a seal position. Sasori gave the bloody Kunai to his Hidan puppet and smirked when Kakashi recognized what he was going to do with it.
Kakashi charged at Sasori but with his left eye still closed and hands locked in a seal. Sasori manipulated the Kazekage puppet to attack. Huge blocks of steel rose and fell driving Kakashi back to keep his distance. The Hidan puppet took the bloody Kunai and placed it into its mouth and swallowed the blood. The wood of the puppet grew dark as white places formed looking like bones. Kakashi opened his left eye showing an oddly designed sharingan, the Mangekyo Sharingan Sasori recognized. The air distorted and swirled as Kakashi used the last of chakra to create a rip in the fabric of reality. Sasori knew of Kakashi's unique move from Deidara's report to the Akatsuki. He waited till the perfect moment, right when it was at its most intense to move back and send strings to the bodies of Gai and Neji. The bodies rose up and jumped in the way of rift. Kakashi focused his chakra and rift was activated.
The bodies of Neji and Gai where ripped in half as Sasori jumped back with his puppets. There was a spray of gore as the majority of the two bodies torso was ripped away into another dimension. Sasori looked at the surprised Kakashi and said "die!" twitching a finger. The Hidan puppet drew a metal spear and plunged it into its chest. Kakashi cough and chocked, he grabbed his chest in agony. Sasori stood above him watching him in his last moments. "You…will not…destroy the village…the future Hokage…will stop you…" Kakashi chocked out with his dying breath. Sasori sighed and said to the dead man "why does every one from the hidden leaf threaten me with their young?"
Sasori resealed his puppets and did a little basic repair to himself. He would have to fix Hiroko latter he decided. He thought to Sakura, he had been aware of her whole battle during his keeping tabs on her during his skirmish with the leaf, "so love how goes your you battle with the Hokage?"
(WOW! *cries* I can't believe I just did that I love Gai and Kakashi! Seriously I don't plan things out when I write I just act in character as if I where RPing and I just go so you guys are as aware of what will happen next chapter as I am. I'll get working right away on Sakura's battle with her former teacher, unless you all do the right thing and bury me next to Hidan)