Here's the start of the Orochimaru smack down. Ideas are welcome! Also, we meet Sasori.
That night, the remaining members had a meeting about Orochimaru's disappearance.
"We now need at least two more members. If the information Itachi san and Kisame san collected is correct, then there are a total of nine tailed demons. I prefer you to work in groups of two anyway." Leader began. He was sitting at the head of the table.
"This means Konan san and myself will scout for information on new members. The rest of you should protect this area. It is likely that Orochimaru is still in Amegakure."
"So we're on hiatus then?" Kisame asked.
"In a way." Pein replied, shaking his head at the strange way Kisame put things. "I will expect daily reports from at least one of you to be delivered every night. Konan san and I will most likely be gone for a year, maybe more. We have to find the best people."
I was surprised something so major could be organized so quickly. They, rather, we were a force to be reckoned with.
"But Leader sama, what about Sasuke-" I began to ask, but I was soon cut off.
"I know I said I would protect him, but I'm sure you're capable enough to look after him. It's only for a year. Plus, you won't be going on any missions while I'm gone." He tried to reason.
"But Leader sama, that's the point. It's a whole year." I replied, wondering how he could say only a year. Only?
"Yes Itachi san, when you get to my age, it is only a year." He replied, mocking my thought pattern.
My mouth tightened but I didn't say anything more. If I didn't have any other missions then I didn't need Leader to be around that much. But one could never be too careful.
It was the very next day that Leader and Konan left. Gone for a whole year. Just like that. I still found it slightly disconcerting that they could carry out things like this so quickly.
Finally taking Leader's advice, I decided to get to know the rest of the organization.
Of course, being S-class criminals, the main way to socialize was by sparring. Actually it was that night that I met Sasori properly.
I entered the onsen area, wrapping a towel around myself in case someone else was here. By the onsen I saw what appeared to be a young boy with red hair. But it was not his age or the fact I'd never seen him before that made me think of him as strange.
It was the odd pattern of chakra. It all seemed to be centered around his chest area. In fact it seemed to be emitting from a cylindrical object, located on the left side of his chest.
I approached cautiously, still not trusting anyone in this organization.
I saw he was dismantling a… ninja puppet perhaps? I saw what I'd previously believed was Sasori's face. Turns out he was just manipulating a puppet the whole time.
As I got closer, I soon found how complicated this thing actually was. There were numerous dismantled pieces floating and sinking in the onsen already.
"Hello Itachi san." He said, throwing another joint into the water.
"Maintenance time?" I asked as I sat at the water's edge, wondering if I should get in.
"Mmm, too bad it had to be right after Orochimaru left. I would expect him to attack within the next day or so. He knows I must perform maintenance around this time. If you were planning on bathing, you'd better do so now. Before this goes in," he said, holding up a particularly greasy article of metal.
I nodded and seated myself, trying to avoid all of the weird and wonderful things already floating around in there.
"So, I take it your primary weapons are puppets." I found it strange that he hadn't bathed once in the time I'd been here.
"It's not that simple," he began with a sudden hotness in his tone, "they're also my art… and my life."
"Hm?" I wondered exactly what he meant by that statement.
He completely dismantled his puppet, then turned to me. He removed his Akatsuki coat and I instantly understood what he meant.
"So that's why your chakra is so odd." I murmured, looking at the white cylindrical object in his chest.
"This way I can last as well." He said, "The problem with Orochimaru leaving is that now I have no one to look after my heart when I clean myself. Could you...?" he asked, not quite sure how to put what he wanted into words.
He sounded embarrassed and weary of revealing his weakness to me. But this was the perfect opportunity to gain his trust.
"What do I do?" I asked.
I could sense he felt a bit of relief but it was unlikely he was going to trust my word completely.
I got out of the water and walked over to him. "I'll just dismantle myself. You just have to make sure my heart doesn't get wet or otherwise damaged." He said, pointing at the white cylinder with the kanji for scorpion written on it. Put the rest of Hiruko," he pointed at the remaining pieces of his puppet, "and me in the water. Just leave us to soak for about an hour. That's all." He said as he finished reeling off instructions.
I nodded and put the rest of the puppet now known as Hiruko into the onsen.
When I turned back to Sasori, his whole body structure collapsed, a few odds and ends rolled into the water of their own accord.
His heart flew towards me and I caught it as I pushed the rest of his limbs into the steaming water.
I walked back up to the screens to dry off and change. Then I tucked Sasori's heart into an inside pocket, which Kakuzu had made for larger than normal scrolls.
Just as I was about to return to the water's edge and wait out the hour, Zetsu came up through the floor. I started slightly in shock, not having seen anything like this before.
"Orochimaru is trying to infiltrate the headquarters. Your assistance is needed at the front door." He then exited in the same strange manner.
I instantly headed towards the front door, resting a hand on my katana. I wondered where Sasuke was, cursing Leader for not being here at such an important time. I walked into the main corridor to see that Kisame had Sasuke in one arm and the Samehada in the other.
Kakuzu came down the stairs, which were situated behind me. "You two should try to stay out of the fray. You have Sasori's heart, not to mention you're Orochimaru's target," he said as he walked past me, "and you've got the kid." He directed at Kisame.
I heard another set of footsteps coming from behind. It was Zetsu and another man. I was curious as to who this man was. The only people who could fight were already in the room.
As Zetsu and the mystery man came closer, I heard him say, "But Zetsu san! Tobi can help! Tobi is a good boy!" I noticed this man wasn't wearing a uniform. What was someone who wasn't in the Akatsuki doing here?
"FINE! IT'S NOT MY FAULT IF YOU DIE!" Zetsu replied, aggravated by this strange man. I say strange with good reason. One: he acted like a child, even though he was about the same size as Kisame. Two: He wore his clothing so no skin at all was showing. This included a bright orange mask on his face.
"Who is that?" I asked Kisame as they walked past, the self proclaimed Tobi giving us an excited wave.
"A nuisance, but we need him in this kind of situation." He replied. "If Sasori was able to fight it'd be ok. Heck, if Leader were here we wouldn't be having this problem at all!"
"So if the battle becomes epic, we just have to hold out for an hour and a half? Allowing time for Sasori to put himself back together of course."
"Hopefully it won't come to that."
Dun, dun, DUN! Sorry for the cliffhanger-like ending. My pool of ideas just dried up. I only have one drafted chapter left.