The Artist's Awakening

Under the scorching sun, amidst the ruins of the arena, the battle reached its crescendo. 

Kazekage's focus remained on Sasori of the Sand, aiming to eliminate the black spot on their village's name. 

Despite his best efforts, however, Sasori's immortal body and abilities made him a challenging opponent to pin down. 

Meanwhile, even though Hiruzen managed to pin Itachi down after relentless pursuing, Kisame's timely intervention disrupted their plans.

However, the tides turned. Killer B had entered the fray. With unparalleled skill, he immediately incapacitated Sasori and inflicted multiple wounds upon Kisame, swinging the balance of the battle in the kages' favor.

This became even more apparent as more and more puncture holes started forming in Kisame's body; he simply wasn't fast enough to dodge all seven of B's swords with his giant sword.

His lightning-fast movements left a trail of wounds on Kisame, each puncture hole a testament to B's unmatched speed. Kisame, overwhelmed and outpaced, couldn't evade the onslaught.

"Yo, listen up, gotta say it clear, You movin' so slow, it's like you're stuck in a gear," B's voice cut through the chaos as his sword found its mark, piercing through the gaps of Kisame's defenses. Frustration and desperation gripped Kisame as he turned to Itachi for aid.

"Just a bit more," Itachi's voice held a hint of strain, "The seal will be undone in a few seconds." He hurled kunais at B, trying to slow him down, but B's speed proved all of his efforts futile.

Amidst the never-ending barrage of sword strikes, Kisame stood like an unyielding fortress, his sword poised to fend off B's relentless assault. In the next moment, however, from the corner of his eyes he caught a glimpse of the golden dust stirring. 

Kisame was forced to shift his stance when he saw the golden dust turned into a tidal wave of doom.

B seized the opportunity, plunging his sword toward Kisame's vulnerable core. Just as Kisame braced himself for the strike, a cry rang out.

"Now!"

In the nick of time, Hiruzen's seal on Itachi was released, unleashing the power that had been contained. 

Kisame, anticipating the impending onslaught, leaped out of Itachi's path, giving him a clear view of B and the Kazekage's tidal wave of golden dust, Itachi wasted no moment. His eyes shed a bloody tear, activating the dreaded Mangekyō Sharingan.

"Amaterasu!"

In an instant, black flames erupted from Itachi's eyes, engulfing the golden dust and B's body in searing heat. 

"B, Noo!!" Hiruzen's anguished cry echoed through the battlefield as he finished setting up some traps. His heart pounded in his chest, fearing the worst for B. 

However, his fears were unfounded, for from the engulfing flames emerged B, his body enveloped in a vibrant blob of reddish-orange chakra, coated by black fire. With a swift motion, B shed the chakra, dispelling the ominous Amaterasu from his body in the process.

"Yo, I stepped into the ring, faced a fate so near, Had a close call, but I ain't living in fear." He pointed and did some strange hand movements towards Itachi, who swiftly body flickered, retreating to the backlines where Kisame stood, focused on healing his wounds with Samehada's chakra.

Itachi's piercing gaze shifted from Kisame to the unconscious deidara and then to Sasori, whose once lifeless body now twitched, a testament to his immortality. With a swift motion, Itachi removed the sword embedded in Sasori's skull, granting him newfound freedom. 

Sasori, with a tone laced with urgency, said, "Let's finish this quickly. I am not in a good mood." Itachi nodded in agreement, and with unwavering resolve, the trio charged forward.

The battlefield roared with the clash of elemental forces as Hiruzen's 'Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet' materialised into a menacing dragon, hurtling toward the Akatsuki trio.

In response, Itachi and Kisame slowed their pace, allowing Sasori to take the lead. With expert precision, Sasori shot torrents of water that burst forth from his palms, colliding violently with the approaching inferno and shrouding the area in a dense wall of mist.

From there, Itachi and Kisame burst forth, dissipating the mist wall. Kisame wasted no time, charging ferociously toward Hiruzen, his eyes gleaming with bloodlust. Itachi skillfully created clones of himself, and they swiftly closed in on Killer B, their movements coordinated and deadly.

Meanwhile, Sasori refrained from targeting the Kazekage directly, opting instead to provide strategic support. He released a barrage of poison needles in all directions, creating a deadly rain that kept the enemies on edge.

On the Kazekage's side, a dance of golden sand unfolded. The Kazekage shielded both his allies with spikes that extended from the ground, conjured massive waves of sand, and even temporarily relocated his allies underground for protection.

Itachi found himself outpaced by B's lightning-fast strikes. Despite Itachi's eyes seeing everything, his sickly body struggled to keep up with the immense speed of B's attacks. However, that didn't mean B had the upper hand.

Despite his frail condition, Itachi's strategy was flawless. He created shadow clones that transformed into crows upon damage, reforming again after some time. Additionally, he cast minor genjutsu, which although B dispelled almost immediately, it briefly distracted Killer B and bought Itachi a few precious seconds to create more clones and maintain a safe distance.

Hiruzen, facing the relentless assault of Kisame's Samehada, found himself pressed against his adversary. However, he wasn't called the god of shinobi for nothing; using clones, he attacked the lone swordsman from all directions, forcing Kisame to go in the defence. 

The battle raged on, with each side employing intricate tactics and powerful techniques in their bid for victory, until a single voice rang through the air.

"Woah, you guys are struggling," Deidara said as he finally woke up, releasing a little butterfly from his hand which flew up and exploded, casting a blinding light that left enemies and allies alike squinting, except Sasori, who remained unaffected due to his puppet body.

"Hey, one-eyed freak, at least say something before using that!!" Kisame complained towards Deidara, his frustration evident as the Akatsuki members found themselves momentarily disoriented by the sudden brightness, especially Itachi, who perceived the light exponentially more than anybody else.

"Oh, my bad, I forgot about you guys for a second," Deidara casually remarked, his carefree attitude contrasting the tense battlefield. 

Usually, his only partner is Sasori who is immune to blinding flashes, so he forgot about his temporary partners Itachi and Kisame.

Amidst the confusion, a voice cut through the tension like a blade. "Lord Third, We are here," an ANBU ninja's voice resonated, jolting Hiruzen out of his momentary shock. 

He was worried that the awakening of Deidara would break the fragile balance in the battlefield, however, relief washed over him as he heard those words. His previously worried expression transformed into one of confidence, his weary eyes scanning the battlefield with renewed determination.

After seven minutes of constant battle, their reinforcements were here, the ANBU was here. 

Standing atop every ruin, building, and cover were hundreds of ANBU operatives, forming an impenetrable ring around the ruined arena. It was a checkmate for the Akatsuki, and Kisame, aware of the gravity of the situation, knew he had to resort to his ultimate trump card.

"Itachi, this isn't looking good. Do you think I should use 'that'?" Kisame's words were heavy with urgency, seeking Itachi's permission. The mere activation of his technique would submerge the entire zone, altering the course of the battle yet again.

However, to Kisame's surprise, Itachi denied, his voice firm. "No, leave it for when we hunt the Nine Tails."

A sense of bewilderment washed over Kisame as he questioned, "Then what are we going to do?" Itachi's unwavering gaze shifted towards Deidara, who was already surrounded by a multitude of ANBU shinobi, setting the stage for a pivotal moment in the battle. The battlefield, once a tumultuous battleground, now stood on the precipice of a decisive turn of events.

"What are you looking at?" Deidara sneered before lunging toward an ANBU operative, who instinctively leaped backward. Despite the attempt to escape however, Deidara's nimble fingers managed to snatch the mask, revealing yet another cloth mask underneath, akin to Kakashi's.

In response, the surrounding ANBU operatives moved in unison, leaping towards Deidara. Quick as lightning, Deidara sprang into the air, extending his hands forward, releasing a swarm of white insects. 

The tiny creatures exploded upon nearing the ANBU, creating explosions that brought small smoke mushroom clouds with it. Most managed to escape the explosion, but its proximity left their hard masks marred with cracks.

From the apex of the explosion, a colossal white bird emerged, dispersing the lingering smoke as Deidara perched atop it. His sharp eyes detected a group of ANBU preparing a coordinated jutsu aimed at him. Unsettled by the sight, he abandoned his avian perch, guiding it toward the group before detonating it in close proximity.

Upon landing, Deidara sensed an approaching threat from behind. He swiftly ducked, narrowly avoiding the attack, then somersaulted backward as more ANBU operatives aimed for his throat.

A frenzied taijutsu battle erupted, Deidara employed his sword to block the ANBU members' weapons while delivering rapid jabs and strikes to every ANBU's face, effectively damaging their masks.

Despite his nimbleness, Deidara found himself overwhelmed by the coordinated attacks, which ultimately forced him to retreat. Cornered, Deidara deployed a smoke bomb, obscuring his retreat as he made another bird, riding it into the sky. 

Chewing on some clay mid-air, he addressed his Akatsuki teammates, "I am sorry for being late, but as an apology, let me present one of my best art pieces!" Spewing out the clay he had chewed, that soon formed into a ball the size of a human head, and exploded mid-air.

"I present to you... C4, Katsu."

"..."

Silence hung heavy in the air. Not even a breath could be heard. Then, a tremulous voice broke the it, "...W-What??"

It was an ANBU's voice, standing beside one of the ANBUs with a cracked mask, his expression terrified as he watched his colleague turn into ashes. Then, the same fate fell on top of another ANBU, and then another one. Panic began to spread among their ranks.

"It's something in the air! Wear a mask now!" Hiruzen and Itachi were the first to notice this; they acted swiftly, donning masks and warning the others. The Kage, B, and Kisame followed suit. 

However, the ANBU, couldn't. Most of them wore a mask primarily to hide their faces and few of them carried spare, as such, every ANBU with a damaged mask disintegrated into dust and disappeared into the wind.

"This is bad," the Kazekage voiced his concern, exchanging worried glances with Hiruzen. The threat of Deidara's hidden technique posed an imminent danger, and they weren't sure how many more such techniques he had. 

At this point, even going near him could lead to death and danger, how were they supposed to defeat such an opponent?

"In the face of danger, I stand tall, no fear in my eyes, Feel the beast inside awaken, ready for the battle cries." However, the chaos in the air quieted down with B's rhythmic words, B's resolute words killing the panic in the air. "I'll fight my way out, ain't nobody stopping this flow, Release the beast within, watch my enemies go!"

"WooHoo!!"

B's raised his hands, his triumphant shout echoed as black smoke billowed from his body. Amidst the smoke emerged Hachi, The Eight-Tailed Beast, his hands raised up like B's previous pose.

"WooMoo!!"