Nine faint rainbow projections stood in a large circle inside a completely lightless cave, the only light emitting were the hologram like people. There were not many distinctions between the group, all were dressed the same. Only true differences between them were personalities and abilities.

"Why were we all summoned?" One of the projections voiced, it was filled with his displeasure. "I was just about to find myself a brothel for the night."

"Enough Hidan." Another called out. By the authority in the voice, he was the leader. "We have things to discuss." The others silently waited for their leader to speak. "Our plans have changed."

There was a joint confusion between the eight others, wondering what had happened cause a change in plan. The plan was fairly simple. Stay under the radar, don't draw attention to yourself or the organization. Capture the intended targets and deliver them alive. Once the nine have been brought and properly handled, disappear into the world and enjoy the peace. That was it. No more, no less.

"What's the change?" The Sharingan eyes glared through the projection.

"War changes everything, Itachi." A female voice broke through. "You, of all, should know that."

"With the upcoming war between the great nations, the Akatsuki are going to have to be more discreet than before." The leader stated, his Rinnegan eyes glaring back. "Our plans cannot be discovered, nor drawing unwanted attention."

"Gathering the money won't be as easy now." The tallest of the group growled in annoyance. "As if it wasn't hard enough already."

"The money will come Kakazu." The leader reassured. "We will get what we need."

"Pain…" Another called out to the leader. "What about Orochimaru? He needs to be dealt with. A former member being allowed to run around is a bad look. Hm."

The one known as Pain looked at the one who spoke. "Orochimaru will be dealt with, Deidara. There is little to worry about. Everything will fall into place as planned. The only variable that changes is time."

"My informant that's with Orochimaru tells me that he's acquired the Sharingan. It's your younger brother, Itachi."

There was no visible emotion on the projection of the Uchiha's face. Absolutely nothing.

Pain seemed to ponder this information. "Interesting. Perhaps we can't sit on Orochimaru much longer. If he harnesses the power of the Sharingan, then we will be his target." Pain paused for a moment. "Sasori, tell your informant that he will be met in a weeks' time. Itachi and Kisame will be the ones to deal with Orochimaru."

"Are you serious?!" Deidara yelled. "I've been waiting for my chance to take that bastard down for years!"

"Shut up Deidara. We have orders."

Deidara looked down at his partner. "You should be just as upset as I am! Orochimaru has been our assignment! Why is that being changed?! Hm!"

"Use your head, dumbass." Sasori berated. "Orochimaru has control of the Sharingan now, unless you have experience fight that caliber of a dōjutsu and a Sannin at the same time, it's going to be a hard battle. Itachi, being an Uchiha, can counter the Sharingan abilities, while Kisame's strength and reputation speaks for itself. It's the only logical plan moving forward."

Deidara had no retort and there was no counter point from any other members. Pain nodded. "Kakazu, you and Hidan will begin gathering the necessary funds for our operations outside the gathering of the tailed beasts. It's also your riches for when our ambitions have been accomplished. You two better do well, for everyone's sake."

Pain continued. "Sasori, Deidara: you two will gather information on the remaining jinchūriki. So far, we only know the location and village of seven out of nine. Once we have their location, we can begin the next phase."

"What of the Three-Tails?" Kisame questioned. "Isn't the Fourth Mizukage still-"

"The Fourth Mizukage was assassinated. The Three-Tails was killed as a result. We will have to wait on the beast's revival."

There was a sense of confusion between most of the members. A Tailed Beast could be killed? Even more, it could be revived? It was always something with these beasts.

"Revival? How does that work?" Hidan questioned. "And how the fuck does a Tailed Beast get killed?"

"Once sealed, the Tailed Beast becomes just as vulnerable as it's host. If, and when, the host dies, the beast dies with them. But a Tailed Beast can never be truly killed. Their being is made up of entirely chakra. After some time, the beast will be reborn."

"Then why don't we kill all these pesky jinchūriki and wait for the beasts to come back? Seems a hell of a lot easier than what we're doing right now." Hidan growled under his breath.

"Shut up Hidan before I kill you."

"I'd like to see you try, fuck face!"

"Enough! Both of you." Pain's voice deafening and commanding. "Everyone has their assignments. Disappear. Now."

All the projections of the members vanished from sight in a matter of seconds, none of them wanted to feel their leader's wrath. Only two faded rainbow projections remained. Pain and one other.

"Konan…I have a task for you."

The lone female known as Konan waited silently for the man to speak.

"Keep close eye on Itachi. Something doesn't seem right with him."

Konan nodded before her projection faded into nothing. The man only known as Pain stood silently for a moment before another voice slowly rose from the ground.

"Pain…I come bearing news about the Nine-Tails."

The projection of Pain didn't even turn to face the plant-like man. "Zetsu…I've been waiting for your report."

-Somewhere in the Land of Grass-

Two Akatsuki members stood on a red bridge that was created to cross an enormously deep ravine with a raging river at the bottom. The two-rouge ninja had their faces covered by conical straw hats with white tassels hanging all around their heads and single ornamental torque off to the side. Their identities were unknown to most, despite their well-known strength.

Kisame scanned the road ahead of him. "He's late. I hate when they're late."

And just like that time before they made entrance into the Leaf Village, Itachi was not like himself. Yes, the man was not the talkative type. The aura his presence created did the talking for him. Even that was silent. That's how Kisame knew Itachi had something on his mind. He was distracted.

"It's every time we do something that involves your younger brother, you act differently. I'm curious to why that is. I wonder if someone still has a soft spot for their sibling."

"Whatever trouble Sasuke has gotten himself into is none of my concern. I do not need to explain my actions for letting him live. I am merely focused because our target is a Sannin. We cannot tread lightly."

Kisame had been with the Uchiha defector for a long enough time to know there was something else, something underneath. But that's where Kisame knew to stop asking questions. Itachi was not the type to pressure into answering questions. That was a lesson he learned the hard way.

That's when the two noticed a cloaked figure coming over the horizon of the road and slowly making his way to the two Akatsuki members. The man approached the two, keeping his face hidden from them.

"So, how about this weather we're having? I expect a hurricane to come through soon."

The weather was perfect and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. It was such an odd thing to say for anyone who could be possibly listening in. But it was exactly what Itachi and Kisame were looking for.

"With winds like this, damages are going to bad."

The tension didn't ease with the challenge and password being recited. It felt as if a hidden kunai or Kisame's massive sword could be drawn at any time. There were a few tense moments before the cloaked informant broke the silence.

"Orochimaru is currently hiding out on the north shore. He's overseeing a project to further develop the Curse Mark. He doesn't plan to leave any time soon."

"Exact location?" Kisame demanded. The informant handed him a piece of paper. "Coordinates. That'll work."

"What of Sasuke Uchiha?"

The informant paused for a moment, seemingly surprised by the question. He answered regardless. "Sasuke Uchiha has been less than willing since his arrival to Orochimaru. His will is strong, but Orochimaru's is stronger. As far as I am aware, Sasuke Uchiha is there as well."

Itachi's interest had been peaked. "Less than willing? Do to what?"

The informant chuckled. "To learn of course. That's why Orochimaru sought out Sasuke, to teach him. Orochimaru wants Sasuke to be his one and only true successor."

Itachi's blank face betrayed his true, hidden feelings. Deep down, very deep down, in the pits of his soul, he was screaming with all his might with rage. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen. Sasuke was never supposed to defect from Konoha. He was supposed to stay in the village and come for him when the time was right. But he didn't have anyone to blame but himself. He inversely turned Sasuke down this path. This was all his fault.

But Itachi knew Orochimaru. It was never simple with him. There were other plans for Sasuke. Especially since Sasuke had the Curse Mark. Something else was planned for his younger brother.

"I've been here for far too long. I don't want to be discovered." The informant suddenly hurled himself over the railing of the bridge. Only for a large bird to be summoned in a plume of smoke to save him and fly away.

"Well, that was…interesting." Kisame said as he watched the bird disappear over the horizon. "I wonder who that was…" It was then Kisame realized Itachi was already off the bridge and walking away. "Oh, come on…"

-Unknown Location-

It was dark. So terribly dark. Darkness was something he was rather used to by now. But this was different. This darkness felt captive, choking and lacking in air. His hands felt cuffed together. Everything was suffocating.

Sasuke heard the cell door open but saw nothing beyond the darkness of his blindfold. He heard the tray be placed down on the ground in front of him. It was a few moments before the man removed the blindfold, hurting his onyx eyes to the new light. Candlelight emitted from the corner of his cell, as well as the hallway.

Kabuto stayed knelt in front of Sasuke, waiting for him to regain his bearings. "It doesn't have to be like this Sasuke. Lord Orochimaru doesn't want you suffering like this. You aren't like the others down here. You are different. You are special. Just come with me and everything will start to make sense."

There was no hesitation from the Uchiha. "Fuck off. I'm not doing anything for that snake."

Kabuto sighed and hung his head. Sasuke had been rather difficult since his arrival, or possible capture in the eyes of the world. Passing rumors and jumbled talk in local taverns all held the same subject. Sasuke Uchiha had been kidnapped by the defected Legendary Sannin, Orochimaru. That wasn't all he had heard. The Fourth Great Ninja War was beginning. And it was kicked off by the battle that he had stumbled upon.

From what Kabuto was aware of, Sasuke had every intention to leave Konoha and join Orochimaru. But Naruto and Sasuke were fighting alongside each other against the Kumogakure/Iwagakure task force from what he observed before he saw his opening to capture Sasuke. There was no medical treatment out there that could've saved the young blonde's life. Naruto was surely dead.

'It's a shame that he died so young. He had so much potential.' Kabuto thought.

Sasuke remained stoic and defiant, not bothering to even look at the tray of food. It was the same thing every time Kabuto brought him food. He would leave the full tray and return to an empty one, crumbs and all. And this good guy method was getting him nowhere. Time for a switch.

"Fine. If you aren't going to eat when I bring you food, then I'm not gonna leave it for you." Kabuto picked up the tray and turned to leave. The cell door closed and began to walk away.

"Wait…"

Kabuto smirked. Sometimes the simple tricks were the best. He looked at Sasuke through the bars of the cell. "Having a change of heart?"

Sasuke looked directly into Kabuto's eyes. "Is Naruto alive?"

A question the medic was expecting at some point. "Caring for you comrade now? You are an interesting one, Sasuke."

"Answer the question."

"Hm. You really aren't in a position to make demands. I have nothing to gain by telling you what you want to know." Kabuto set the tray of food on the ground. "What's in it for me?"

"I don't slit your throat!" Sasuke flared his chakra to ignite his Sharingan. The dōjutsu was bright in his eyes for a second before his body burned from the inside. The pain was unlike anything he'd ever felt before. The burning only stopped when his Sharingan deactivated. "Gah! Stupid fucking jutsu!"

Kabuto chuckled as he pushed up his glasses. "I see you forgot your predicament. Allow me to explain it to you again. The Katon: Tenrō (Fire Style: Heavenly Prison) is a chakra sealing jutsu that, once placed, will stop the use of one's chakra. And, as you can tell, if you try to use chakra, you start to burn on the inside. If you push through that pain and continue to use chakra, your insides will burn away to ash. Oh, and it slowly drains your chakra over time. And by the looks of it, you really don't have much longer. I suggest you make up your mind before it's too late."

Kabuto turned to leave again but stopped for a moment. "And to answer your question from before…it seems Naruto Uzumaki was killed by a Kumo shinobi."

If Sasuke was surprised or sad by the news, he did not show it. His head dropped and hid between his knees. He was silent.

Kabuto decided to not speak anymore. He began to stroll down the hallway, his chuckling echoing. But that maniacal chuckle was Sasuke's saving grace. The echoing laughter covered the sound of tears hitting the ground…

-Mountain Range-

Kisame and Itachi stood in front of a decent sized cave opening. The coordinates brought them to a mountain range near the north shore in the Land of Earth. It took them weeks of travel to get where they were, but it seemed all that time was worth it.

"This is it. The entrance to the hideout."

"You'd think Orochimaru would have a guard posted." Kisame snickered. "Shameful on his part."

"We still need to procced with caution. We don't know what we will encounter. Remain vigilant." Itachi took the first steps into the cave. Kisame followed suit.

The Akatsuki pair walked through the darkness for quite some time, having to make the occasional turn. Itachi used his Sharingan to navigate their way until candles began to slowly light the way through the halls. The rocky cave quickly turned into a metal fortress that was bedded into the rock of the mountain.

Itachi stopped walking. "Something isn't right."

Kisame stopped as well. "I agree."

"We're being watched."

"I felt that too. Whoever it is, they're keeping their distance."

Itachi examined the area with his Sharingan. "There is no one in our immediate area. I see a large amount of chakra signatures in the room ahead."

"Is Orochimaru one of them?"

Itachi focused a bit more. "It's jumbled, but there's one I recognize as his."

Kisame looked at his partner confusingly. "Jumbled? What the hell are you talking about?"

"It's as I said. There's a chakra signature I recognize as Orochimaru's but it's not completely as I remember. There's something different about him."

Kisame sighed. "Let's just kill that bastard. Samehada has been itching to try some snake."

The Akatsuki pair continued their path towards Orochimaru's chakra signature. They followed the signature into a large room with multiple doors and a platform that went around the entire room with even more doors. By the looks of it, this was a massive jail room with cells. There was banging from inmates trying to escape their cells and yelling of the depressed and pained.

"Well, well, well…" A voice rang out through the room, practically silencing all the ambiance. Itachi and Kisame looked up to see Orochimaru's second in command, Kabuto, standing above them. "The Akatsuki finally comes."

Kisame instantly drew Samehada and slammed it on the ground. Its sharp scales cutting through the bandages that surrounded it. The sword was even growling. "Ho oh, I've never seen Samehada get so agitated so quickly. He likes your chakra."

If Kabuto was freaked out by the living sword, then he didn't show it. He merely pushed up his glasses. "So, that's Samehada. One of the seven swords of the Mist. Then that makes you Kisame. You're one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen."

"It's a pleasure. Now, where's your boss?" Samehada growled harder. "Actually, you'll be first. We can find Orochimaru later."

Kabuto chuckled. "Lord Orochimaru doesn't have time to entertain the likes of you. He moved on with other projects and left me to deal with you."

"He's not here?!" Kisame shouted.

Kabuto chuckled again. "Now, why would I give away the surprise? You'll just have to find out for yourselves." He made a single hand sign. Metal cell doors suddenly flew open. The yelling and pained screaming turned into excited and murderous. "Whoever kills them is granted their freedom!" Kabuto disappeared into the darkness as hoards of crazed prisoners launched themselves at the two Akatsuki members.

Kisame and Itachi stood back to back, not allowing their blind spots to be compromised. They waited for their opponents to come to them. Itachi drew a single kunai while Kisame held Samehada. Most of the prisoners were simply captured villagers from random villages, while only some were actual ninja with some skill. But none of them stood a real chance against the two S-rank Akatsuki members.

It really didn't take long for the two S-rank rouge shinobi to dismember and eliminate the multiple threats. It seemed the reward was a great motivator. But it was all for nothing in the end. The only ones left standing were the Akatsuki.

"Such senseless violence…I always enjoy a good massacre." Kisame said with sadistic glee. "What about you, Itachi? Does it bring back memories for you, Itachi?"

Again, Itachi didn't respond. He kept his eyes focused on the darkness around him. Being vigilant was one thing for Itachi, but this was different. And Kisame had enough.

"Hey! What's with you? Whatever is going on in your head, it's been messing with you. And our organization can't have someone with mental-"

"Kisame, shut up." Itachi said coldly. He wasn't ignoring his partner. He was focused on what was coming next.

A monstrous roar filled the stale air. The ground rumbled as an inhumanly large and tall beast-like ogre stomped its way into view. Its head was extremely disproportionate to the body with arms that dragged on the ground. Neither Kisame nor Itachi had ever seen a creature like this. It seemed not of this world. Possibly somewhere else entirely…

Kisame looked up at the creature and smiled. A creature of that size and strength was truly rare and fighting it would be something he would cherish forever. And he wanted no interruptions. "Allow me to handle this beast, Itachi. You go search for that snake and his lacky. I'll catch up."

Itachi glanced at his partner's wickedly excited smile and instantly knew that this wasn't for the mission's benefit, only his own. But that didn't matter to Itachi. A golden opportunity. A simple nod and Itachi disappeared into a flock of crows. Meanwhile, Kisame stood off against the mammoth of a monster.

The crows flew down multiple corridors at once, checking every nook and cranny for any of his intended targets. The hidden hideout quickly turned into a labyrinth, there were many hallways and turns that led straight into a wall or an empty room. Several minutes passed before there was a clue discovered.

In a more isolated part of the hideout, there was a lone cell. The door was left wide open and there were no shackles. It was a rushed exit. An escapee? No, there was no forced entry on the door. It was opened by an outside source. The jailer released the prisoner for some reason and took them to another location. What was so special about this certain prisoner that they would be separated and then taken again?

'Sasuke…'

Orochimaru's mind games, that's what this was. Itachi would have to play this smart and close to the chest. He might even have to use that…

In the deepest part of the hideout is where Itachi found Orochimaru and Kabuto. From Itachi's memory, he did not remember Orochimaru having that color of hair or it being that short. Even the Sannin's face was covered in bandages. That lone eye was unmistakable, it was Orochimaru. But that's not what he focused on. His younger brother was the ground in front of Orochimaru's seated form. He was unconscious or, even worse, dead. Rage built up inside him.

"Welcome Itachi, it's been a long time. I'm glad to see you let yourself in."

The Uchiha refrained from shouted. "What do you want from Sasuke?

"Hmm. I'm curious as to way you care. Could it be you still care for your younger brother?" Orochimaru hissed with a smile.

"He's a pitiful excuse of a ninja and dishonors the Sharingan. He offers you nothing but disappointment."

Orochimaru chuckled. "Maybe. Young Sasuke does have a long way to go before he can call himself a 'ninja'. But what I am after is something more, something better."

Itachi's own Sharingan spun into life, threatening to go even further and unleash the black sun. He held back to keep his cover intact. "My assumption would be the Sharingan…like when you tried to take mine years back."

Orochimaru chuckled again. "Yes…I did try to take your Sharingan first. But I realized the potential in my dear Sasuke. I timed my plans perfectly and my patience has paid off."

Itachi analyzed the state of Orochimaru and his appearance. His Sharingan could see a foreign chakra around Sasuke's body. It was some sort of chakra sealing jutsu. "But it seems you've become rather desperate. Even I can tell that Sasuke has not been the vessel you waited for. Evident by the sealing technique you have placed on him. Sasuke will not be yours."

A silent curse. He had slipped up.

Itachi could hear a slight growl of annoyance from the Snake Sannin. But that was quickly forgotten with another sadistic chuckle. "My dear Itachi, do you still care for your younger brother? Was his life not spared on a whim like you have made everyone believe? Oh, that sure does make sense. And what a loving sentiment from an older brother. That really warms my heart. But young Sasuke's body will be mine soon enough!"

'His body…? He achieved that level of jutsu?' The orchestrator of the Uchiha massacre instantly went deathly quiet, the very air had changed around him. His left eye had closed. Blood dripped like a tear down his cheek. The black sun was coming.

Orochimaru realized what was happening and shielded himself with his arms. 'This body will take more damage; I have no choice!'

"Amaterasu!" (Heavenly Illumination) "Burn away!"

"Lord Orochimaru!" Kabuto shouted.

Instantly, Orochimaru was engulfed in a plume of black flames. The onyx flames quickly saturated the Sannin's body and burned it down into nothing. Oddly enough, there was scream, only the sound of the melting flesh. That made Itachi suspicious.

Suddenly, bursting out of the ground, came a massive white snake with a tuff of black hair that snapped at Itachi. The Uchiha traitor jumped out of the way and landed a good distance away. Upon further examination, the large snake was made up of many smaller snakes.

Kabuto couldn't believe his eyes. 'That's Lord Orochimaru's true form! He can only use that when he preforms the Fushi Tensei!'(Living Corpse Reincarnation) "Lord Orochimaru! Don't do it! This isn't going to work! Not enough time has passed!"

The massive snake hissed with its tongue. "It's time for Sasuke's body to become mine!" Orochimaru lunged at Sasuke's unconscious form.

Itachi acted swiftly. He fired another shot of the inextinguishable black flames at the snake Sannin to distract him long enough for Itachi to put himself between Orochimaru and Sasuke.

"The Uchiha clan dies here!"

"Do not mock the Uchiha!"

An orange aura appeared around Itachi in the shape of a skeleton arm with a shield. The arm swung out and smacked Orochimaru with the shield, launching the snake back. Itachi dropped to his knees as the aura disappeared. He began to cough heavily.

Kabuto erected a chakra blade in his hand. "This is my chance!" He charged at Itachi. But another skeleton-like arm appeared and punched Kabuto into the opposing wall.

The arm disappeared again but it put more strain on Itachi's body. He coughed harder and blood flowed from his left eye. His body was reacting badly from the extreme use in a short time, it had never been like this before. The sickly man reached into his pocket, pulled out a bottle of pills, and downed a few of the contents. The medication offered no immediate help, unfortunately, but it would save him later when his adrenaline would fade.

'This is bad. I didn't expect using my Susanoo briefly like that would drain me this much. My disease must be worse than I thought.' He momentarily looked behind him at his younger brother. 'I can't take him with me. There's no logical explanation I can come up with. But I can't leave him either. He'll be killed…or worse, made into Orochimaru's puppet.' Itachi looked back at Orochimaru. 'Whatever jutsu he has to switch bodies like he does must have a cooldown time…There's still a chance for him.'

Orochimaru was dazed and Kabuto was no longer a threat. Kisame had finished off that monster and was finally headed towards Itachi. Itachi had to do it fast.

The elder Uchiha picked his younger brother off the ground and set him upright. He had not moved the entire situation. Itachi pulled up Sasuke's shirt slightly and examined the sealing jutsu. There was no point in trying to release it, there wasn't enough time. Itachi gathered the necessary chakra in his Sharingan and forced open Sasuke's eye lid.

"When you are strong enough, you will strike Orochimaru down. Then you will return to Konoha."

Sasuke echoed Itachi's words. "…When I am strong enough, I will strike Orochimaru down. Then I will return to Konoha."

Itachi tapped Sasuke on the forehead to seal the deal. The Konoha Chūnin's body fell back as Kisame came barreling into the chamber. He looked around at the state of the area and sighed disappointedly.

"You couldn't wait for me, huh? I was really looking forward to killing that bastard." Kisame noticed his partner's exhaustion. "Hey, you don't look so good. You must've gone all out from the start."

Itachi wiped the blood away from his mouth. "I used the Susanoo in conjunction with the Amaterasu." He slowly stood up. "I drained my chakra too low. I…was careless."

Another red flag went off in Kisame's head. Itachi was never careless. Everything he did was premediated, cautious, and anything but careless. There was definitely something going on. Kisame was sure of it now.

"Carelessness will get you killed." Orochimaru's snake form rose up from the ground. "You care so much for your younger brother; you'll be buried together!"

Rumbles shook the entire mountain that the hideout was hidden in. Explosions chained through the rock and blasted it into pebbles.

"He's blowing the whole hideout!" Kisame realized. "We need to leave now!" He slammed his hands together and regurgitated massive amounts of water to help protect them from the falling debris. He then summoned two sharks that used to the rushing water to carry the two Akatsuki members through the hideout.

Due to his chakra exhaustion, Itachi wasn't able to do much but hang on for the ride. The sharks weaved through the halls as they followed the raging rapids, dodging falling rubble as it fell. The pair were just able to make it out of the hideout just as the mountain erupted in one massive explosion.

Kisame looked back at the devastation and shook his head. "Since he was the one to trigger all of that, I think it's safe to say that he made a successful getaway. Along with that henchman of his and your younger brother." He looked back at Itachi. "Pain isn't going to like this. Not one bit."

Itachi gingerly fixed his cloak so it fit him better. But he said nothing. Back to silence.

The continued silence infuriated Kisame to the point he couldn't hide it any longer. "Alright, I've had enough." He drew Samehada and held it out at Itachi. "You haven't been the same since we infiltrated Konoha. We had a clear opportunity to capture the Nine-Tails, but you decided to be spilt up. I went along with it because you always have a plan and it never fails. The one time we need a plan to work and it fails. That's too convenient for my liking. Now, we failed to kill Orochimaru. A former member of our group that can, and most likely will, leak our secrets to the world."

Seemingly for the first time in a while, Itachi responded to Kisame. "We are human, Kisame. Humans make mistakes and miscalculate situations."

"You never do. You are Itachi Uchiha. That name speaks perfection and calculated."

"Kisame, I am in a very vulnerable position." The slight emotion in Itachi's voice caught Kisame's attention. His next words were going to be truthful. "I cannot explain to you why or how but I made a mistake. I let something get the better of me and I allowed it to cloud my decision making. I am human. I will make mistakes. There isn't a secret reason or ulterior motive like you suggest."

Kisame lowered his giant sword. "Vulnerable position? What do you mean?"

"You know of my sickness and how I don't have much time left to live. That can weigh on a man's conscious. If I strain my body too much, then I am practically shortening my own life. The rest of my life will remain tied to the Akatsuki. There are many things I must do before my time comes. You are allowed to think and feel for yourself. But I ask you, when the time comes, will you allow me to do what I must?"

Kisame completed lowered the massive sword onto the ground and contemplated his partner's words carefully. What was it he was really trying to say? Was this his way of expressing his emotions? Or did Itachi seriously have a secret agenda and this was his way of telling him? They were partners, yes, but by no means they were close in any aspect. There was trust to not let the other die until the Akatsuki's mission was complete. That was the extent of their companionship. Or so Kisame thought up until now. Maybe Itachi saw differently.

The shark man sheathed Samehada on his back. "That remains to be seen…I guess. I am curious to see how this will play out."

Itachi seemed to have accepted that answer. He nodded his head and walked away, beginning their journey back. Silence remained over the remainder of the trip.

-Days later, hidden location-

"So, you failed to kill Orochimaru?" Pain stood there with authority over the two holograms of Itachi and Kisame. "Even worse, you let him escape with the Sharingan. I find this story hard to believe."

"Like I said, we were separated and couldn't truly fight him as we wanted." Kisame stated. "Pretty sure Zetsu would have trouble finding him."

"Again, this story is hard to believe." Pain said, letting his anger flow into his voice. "You two are better than this. The 'Tail-less Tailed Beast' and Itachi of the Sharingan, who has bested Orochimaru in battle before, should have had no trouble defeating one of the Sannin. This will come back on us one day."

The two said nothing, knowing what might happen if they spoke out of turn.

Pain narrowed his rippled purple eyes in anger and disappointment, he expected better. But this meeting was not going the way he thought it might. Itachi more vocal in his failures, rare as they are. Putting this with the fact that he didn't believe their story was completely truthful, something wasn't right with Itachi.

"Itachi…leave us. I must speak to Kisame alone."

Silence from the Uchiha traitor continue. He made no indication that he heard the order. His hologram simply disappeared into nothing. This only raised Pain's suspicions further.

"Kisame, keep an eye on your partner. Report any oddities to me and me alone. And don't let any of the other Akatsuki members know."

"…Alright. Anything else?"

"No. Get out of my sight." Kisame's hologram vanished as soon as the words left Pain's mouth. The man remained unmoving for a few moments before turning around to greet another member. "It's been a long time, Madara."

The man known as Madara stayed hidden in shadows, only visible by a lone Sharingan eye. "Yes, it has. Ten years is a long time. Tell me, how's the hunt going? Have we made any headway?"

Pain shook his head. "Not quite. We've only begun to begin our hunt for the nine jinchūriki. It has taken longer to gather the proper abilities. We know the location for all but two. Soon, we will start to gather them."

"Hm. How soon? It's already been a long ten years."

"It'll be, at least, another three years before we have all nine captured and sealed away."

"Three you say. And why is that?

"According to Zetsu, the Nine-Tails jinchūriki is in a faraway land known as Mount Myōboku. One of the three unexplored sage regions. He is on a three-year training mission for him to learn how to use senjutsu. He learned this from infiltrating Konoha."

"The Land of the Toads, I know of the place. And my guess the Toad Sage, Jiraiya, is there with him. I see how that complicates things. Finding that place is no easy task. I, myself, haven't even found the entrance to the passage. And the boy will be well versed in senjutsu by that time. Capturing him will be very difficult. He will need to be dealt with quickly."

"I understand, Madara."

-Land of Waves-

There was a knock at the door. Tsunami finished the dish she was on, dried her hands off with a towel and rushed over to the door. "I'm coming!" She called out as she approached the door. She peeped through the window and saw who it was. She was instantly delighted to see a familiar masked face. "Kakashi!" She happily greeted as she opened the door. "It's so nice to see you again!"

"Yo! Long time no see, Tsunami." Kakashi greeted. Standing next to him was Anko, his partner for the mission. "Mind if we come in? I need to speak with Tazuna. He should be expecting us."

"Of course, of course! We've been expecting your arrival." She moved out of the way and allowed the two Konoha shinobi to enter the home.

Over the horizon, standing on a hill were two black cloaked figures with red clouds that overlooked the house Kakashi and Anko just walked in to. One was masked with green eyes and other had a large red triple bladed scythe in his hand.

"Those two shinobi that just walked in, do they have good bounties? Because if they don't, I'm gonna enjoy killing 'em!"

"Shut up Hidan. We aren't here for them. The bridge builder is who we want."