(I still got them coming.)
After Sasuke and the heralds left Konoha in possession of the second artifact, their final mission was to retrieve the casket containing the Tengu Shredder's corpse. And Sasuke vowed once he took all three artifacts and their powers he would finish Itachi for good. Two days after they left Konoha it was nighttime, and Sasuke was in a forest resting next to a tree with the helmet off, while drinking from a canteen of water. Suddenly the five heralds appeared before him, "Master, we bring news of the final artifact." The Wind mystic said.
"Yes, what of it?" Sasuke asked.
"We have discovered its location." The Earth mystic answered.
Sasuke's eyes lit up with Sharingan, "Take me to it at once." He said donning the Shredder's helmet and stood up.
"As you wish." The Water mystic said as they led the way with Sasuke following them.
Sasuke was far enough away from the mystics so they could talk amongst themselves, "If I have to put up with another command from this child I'm gonna…" The Earth mystic started until the fire one held his arm down from trying to raise it.
"Be patient, soon our master will be reborn and that child will have served his true purpose." The Fire one reminded him. The Earth mystic calmed down, as they continued traveling through the forest on their way to find the final artifact.
Meanwhile in a cave not too far from where the mystics and Sasuke were, two Akatsuki members, one had orange hair done up like Naruto's style, piercings on his face, and purple swirls in his eyes, accompanying him was a woman with short blue hair, amber eyes, purple-blue eye shadow, and a labret piercing. The man's head shot up as the woman looked at him, "Nagato?"
"They have arrived, Konan." He replied.
Entering the cave were the Akatsuki members such as Itachi and Kisame, and the other members Deidara, Kakuzu, Hidan, Sasori, and another known as Tobi, "Hmm it's been a long time since we were all seen together in the flesh." Kisame said.
"Good thing you all showed up, I hate being kept waiting." Sasori said as he takes a position.
"Take a chill pill Sasori my man; we're all here aren't we?" Deidara asked.
"All except for Orochimaru at least." Kakuzu noted.
"Never mind him," Itachi said, "Pain-sama, we're all gathered together." He motioned to the one Konan addressed as Nagato.
"Yes, which means we can begin the ceremony," Pain started as he summons the Gedou Mazo, "And now for the second addition." He summoned the casket containing the Shredder's corpse.
"Now you're certain with this one corpse we will have more power than all nine Jinchuriki?" Sasori asked.
"Yes. One it's powers been extracted and placed into the statue we can harness it to its peak," Pain explained, "Now into positions!" he commanded, as they each jumped onto a finger of the statue's hands.
"How long do you figure sealing this one's going to take?" Kisame asked the others.
"As long as it takes for us to acquire its power," Pain answered, "Now begin the sealing method." He said as they were about to start until an explosion was heard.
"What was that?" Hidan asked.
They looked down from the statue seeing a hole in the cave and entering were the five Mystics, "We have come for the casket!" The Fire one declared.
"Who are they?" the one known as Tobi asked in a panic.
"We are the five mystics; heralds of the one true Shredder." The Metal mystic declared.
"Heralds?" Konan gasped.
"Yes, now we will be taking our masters corpse now." The Wind mystic requested.
Since they haven't even started the ritual they jumped from the statues hands and stood their ground, "You're invading on Akatsuki territory, begone you demons." Pain ordered.
"We do not take orders from you!" The Fire mystic replied in outrage.
"That's right," Another voice said, as they all looked through the opening as Sasuke entered the cave drawing his sword, "They obey me."
The Akatsuki stared at the young Uchiha, seeing him wearing the supposed gauntlet and helmet of the demon Shredder. Itachi smirked looking down and jumped from his position, "Well Sasuke, it's been a long time."
"Long indeed brother." Sasuke answered glaring at Itachi through the helmet.
Itachi stared at him, "Aren't you going to come and rush at me like before?" he mocked his brother.
"Things aren't like before, Itachi. I'm stronger now, and I will become even stronger once the casket is in my possession." Sasuke declared.
Kakuzu jumped down taking a position next to Itachi, "Sorry kid, but we're not handing it over to a brat like you."
Soon the other members jumped from the statue, taking positions, "You don't stand a chance against all of us, boy." Pain said.
"I don't, but they do." Sasuke motioned to the mystics, "Attack!" he commanded.
The mystics fought the Akatsuki members, while Sasuke maneuvered around their fighting, while deflecting some jutsus with his sword, and jumped up the statue making it to the casket, "At last, the final artifact."
The Akatsuki noticed this, "The casket!" Pain called.
Kisame fired water Shark bombs, but Sasuke countered, "Katon; Gouryuuka no Jutsu!" he called blowing dragon head fireballs at Kisame's water shark bombs.
The result erupted into mist, and the heralds took advantage of this moment and summoned their staffs firing magical blasts knocking the Akatsuki members back into the walls of the cave, "Now let's get the real ceremony started." The Fire mystic said as they retrieved the casket setting it down on the ground and stood before it on all four sides while Sasuke stood on top of it.
They started chanting some ancient language, while folding their hands, and powering up their demonic energies. The Akatsuki members still unable to move due to the demonic blasts they just endured watched seeing the locks on the casket suddenly break off. Sasuke was then levitated up in the air as the casket's lid exploded and being lifted up was the Shredder's armor and cape while skeleton pieces were inside of it, "Yes, now the power is mine!" Sasuke smirked.
"On the contrary boy, it is our masters." The Metal mystic corrected him.
"What?" Sasuke gasped.
"Did you really think we were going to hand the powers of our true master to a feeble human like yourself?" The Wind mystic asked.
"We used you as an attempt to locate the other artifacts of our master so that he could be reborn. Now you have a new purpose!" The Earth mystic explained.
"You shall be the vessel to our master." The Water mystic finished.
"You five double-crossed me!" Sasuke growled as he dropped his sword to the ground.
"Sasuke!" Itachi called.
The Akatsuki watched as the helmet and gauntlet of the Tengu Shredder came off of Sasuke. The armor started attaching itself to Sasuke while the skeletal remains of the original Shredder crumbled into dust. Sasuke was straining and screaming as another layer of skin colored pale blue started covering him. His hair started getting longer, down the back a bit, and his eyes turned red
"My Kami." Itachi gasped in fright seeing what has befallen his little brother.
The being that was once Sasuke, looked down on everyone as the gauntlet attached to his left arm, and his helmet was placed on his head. The rest of the casket exploded and the mystics were blown back a few meters, until they look up seeing their master the Tengu Shredder stand before them, "Master." They said bowing to him.
"At last." The Fire mystic said.
The Shredder is risen!" The Wind mystic added.
"I live!" the Tengu Shredder declared, "Now let the world tremble!" he laughed.
"Hail Master Shredder!" the heralds declared.
The Demon Shredder looked at the Akatsuki members finally making it to their feet, "Who are these creatures so weary of life?"
"They call themselves Akatsuki master." The Metal mystic answered.
"They were attempting to steal your power for their own my lord." The Earth mystic added.
"Were they now?" Tengu Shredder asked curiously.
"Pain-sama, what do we do now?" Kisame asked.
"We fight to the end, and seize his power!" Pain orders as the Akatsuki attacked him.
"Oh please." The Tengu Shredder said summoning Sasuke's sword into his hand and it transformed into a black demonic looking blade. He sent a shockwave of demonic energy from his weapon at the Akatsuki members. Pain was in agony as his piercings were absorbing the energy but was too much for him. Elsewhere in an unknown location, a decrepit withered man hooked up to some kind of walker, who had long red hair and the same eyes as Pain who stopped breathing and was dead.
Back at the cave, the Gedou Mazo had vanished, and the Akatsuki members were on the ground with their bodies horribly mutilated with only Itachi clinging onto his life, "Let my name the Shredder be the last sound you ever hear!" The Demon Shredder said raising his sword above Itachi.
Itachi looked at the Shredder's red eyes seeing Sharingan in them, "Sasuke." He said before the demon killed him.
"Well done Master Shredder." The Water mystic applauded.
The Demon Shredder placed his new sword in a sheathe on his waist and blasted the cave to pieces as he floated out followed by his minions, "Come my servants, let's venture forth and survey my new kingdom. What a pleasure it will be to hear the screams when I remake the world into my own image. And I shall start with the very land in which I was defeated in."
"Yes Master to this day it is now known as the Land of Fire." The Fire mystic explained.
"Land of Fire is it now?" Tengu Shredder asked, "What a fitting name for such a land that robbed me of all I had."
"Yes master, however there is the matter of the usurper," The Metal mystic started, "He who dares call himself the Shredder."
"His very existence mocks you, master." The Fire mystic added.
"Does he now, and who is this worm who takes my name in vain?" their master asked turning to them.
"He calls himself Naruto Uzumaki." The Wind mystic answered.
"Naruto Uzumaki is it?"
"Yes and his home is in fact." The Earth mystic started but was interrupted by his master.
"The village of Konoha in the Land of Fire." Shredder answered.
"Yes, but how did you know?" The Fire mystic asked.
"This new vessel you've applied me with has granted me bits of his own memories, along with his most powerful of abilities," Shredder said showing them Sharingan eyes. "Very well, let's us rid the world of this usurper, and when it is done I will bring a reign of chaos onto this world!" he declared as a storm started coming up as he laughed maniacally.
Meanwhile in Konoha that very night, Naruto who was in bed at his mansion had chi markings appear all over his body, and he woke up with a startle, "What a horrifying feeling just now." He said quietly to himself. He got up from bed and walked to his window, looking out it seeing the village looking normal as always.
He thought, 'Everything looks peaceful yet I sense chaos from afar. The great evil that we've been training to fight against may have very well been raised. If so, then the war really has begun.'
While at the Nara, Hyuga, Akimichi compounds, and Lee's home, Lee, Chouji, Hinata, and Shikamaru woke up with a startle with chi markings covering their bodies as well. They could tell just like Naruto that something bad was happening and that it's coming to Konoha.
(The final battle is drawing closer.)