Aftermath

"Sakura and the Kazekage ... are dead ?"

The unthinkable happened. News quickly propagated through the village. Some blame the Sand Village, some the Hokage for underestimating the Akatsuki. Amidst the chaos, one figure in the shadows of Konoha decided to act: Danzo, Head of Root, a subdivision of Anbu.

"You knew the Akatsuki already held him captive yet still sent units in there. Kakashi may be experienced, but those are S - Rank wanted ninjas. You went ahead and got your disciple killed."

"I don't need your bitter remarks now, Danzo. No one hates that outcome more than I do. What do you want ?"

"I'll be blunt. I don't think you're fit for that Hokage position, and this mistake is irredeemable. I'll be your assistant, and will be assigning Root units to monitor and assist you in your duties. Consider this is a threat and a blessing. You already messed up, and I'm doing you the favor of not letting you mess up again."

"What if I don't agree to this ?"

"That'll be an even bigger mistake from you, although the outcome would benefit for the leaf. For now, I'm letting you still take the reins, I will just occupy this post as a safety measure. My priority is always the village."

Tsunade stares the life out of Danzo, who doesn't flinch or give the slightest reaction. She is not completely sure of the extent of his power, but he is still someone shrouded in mysteries and the one who stole Shisui's eye, plus making a hasty, emotional move right now would just make it worse and prove she isn't fit for the seat. As annoyed as she is by the hard-line military faction's sudden emergence, she makes the best and most rational decision.

"Shizune. I'm stepping out." Tsunade violently storms out, followed by her trusted assistant.

"I suppose that settles it. We'll talk details tomorrow with team 7 and team Guy. Torune! Fu!"

"Yes, sir." Both Root ninjas emerge from the shadows kneeling before Danzo, then escort him back to Root HQ.

"Two Teams with their Jonin are barely even matched with an Akatsuki duo, and now they know their abilities. Either the quality of ninjas has dropped or the Akatsuki are a serious threat. Either way, actions must be taken. And we will not wait until a bigger disaster happens. And I'm not letting that happen."

Meanwhile, in an unknown Akatsuki hideout, Kakuzu meets up with Deidara to reattach his arms, while Sasori is next to them, tinkering with puppets and bodies.

"This scene is not for the faint of heart.. Ouch, careful with my nerves,there ..." Deidara handles the pain of having limbs fixed in an unconventional manner.

"Stop wussing, you should be glad you're able to feel pain. " Kakuzu says.

"If you don't like pain, consider a puppet body like mine, then." Retorts Sasori still fixing his puppets.

"I'll pass. Hm." Deidara swiftly declines.

" I have a suggestion, though. While you're still fixing your arm, why don't I add a touch of art to it ?" Sasori calmly suggests.

"Huh ? What is it ? I don't want those freaky mechanical arms, but something explosive is welcome."

"You already have a large-scale bomb. But your small scale arsenal could use an improvement. "

"And how do we plan of doing that."

"' A gun. In one or a few fingers. That will fire pellets of explosive clay faster, deadlier." A calm and ambitiously suggestive yet cold smile.

"Now THAT IS ART! Let's do that ! Hm !" Answered by an enthusiastic one.

And so both freaks tempering with life started working on the explosive cripple's arms. He who will soon be more explosion and less cripple. Sometimes, the contrasting artists agree on a few things.

Ten days after the incident. Sasori is supposed to meetup with one of his spies, the one he put in charge of monitoring Orochimaru. He shows up in Tenchi Bridge in his trusted, fixed and improved armored puppet Hiruko, not only for those reasons, but because he keeps his identity hidden at all times, and most importantly ... It's scary. He walks up and crosses the bridge every so slowly, in his heavy puppetry. A hooded figure approached from the opposite side and waits in the middle of the bridge until Sasori is near it .

"It's been a long time. Master Sasori." He reveals himself. It's Kabuto.

"Five years, right ?"

"Indeed. Any troubles getting here?" Sasori says in Hiruko's raspy and heavy puppet voice.

"None followed me, but still, I am risking my life being here.

"Alright. Let's make it quick."

"Yes. About what you ordered me to do. Even after his reincarnation, Orochimaru uses a jutsu to apply a protector to the cellular specimens discarded from his body. And therefore I was unable to analyze the cellular data."

"I see."

"Now please hand the item in question quickly. I can't hang around here any longer. If it's discovered that I'm meeting you like this, I'll be killed."

"Hmm." Sasori makes a wide movement, one that could easily be pulling an item or preparing an attack. As Kabuto prepares for whatever outcome follows, Orochimaru appears from behind him.

"Quite the interesting topic. Mind if I join ?" Orochimaru says in a smug manner. Kabuto jumps back to Sasori's side and... Gets captured.

"Huh ?" Kabuto still confused at the state of things, is caught in Sasori's grip. No possible escape.

"Moron. So you were indeed in cohorts with him."

"Now, now. I'd like to thank you for that boy. Creating one jutsu requires around a hundred human subjects. And his medical skills allowed me to reuse them several times... There's a great shortage you see... So would you be so kind as to ..." Orochimaru elongates and lunges his head with a sword for a tongue.

"... Give him back to me!"

Sasori deflects the blade with his scorpion tails and jumps away from the tight embrace of the snake's neck effortlessly.

"Quit the hostilities. I got something to ask, there's room for negotiations. Our goals are not so different."

"Oh ? What do you want to know?"

"That jutsu you used to reanimate the third kazekage when we last met. Tell me about it."

"Do you think I'll reveal a Hidden Forbidden Jutsu to a member of the Akatsuki that want to kill me for one medical ninja ?"

"Too bad then. That could have saved your life from us."

Sasori starts out with a classic array of throwing poisoned needles and kunais. Then gets out of hiruko and starts using one puppet after the other. Orochimaru skillfully dodged each projectile, occasionally moving like a snake but still employing minimal efforts. This wasn't the first time they met, so both know each other's tricks. Sasori however was waiting for a chance, and surely enough he got one. He pulls a string, one that was supposed to act as a signal for someone, hiding in the forest. That someone is none other than Deidara, who follows through and throws in a wave of miniature explosive clay creatures. Orochimaru evidently evades that and turns around to prepare for the inevitable jutsu that this charade is leading to. Sasori pulls out Chikomotsu's 10 puppets. 2 stand as his guard, then 3 activate [Three Jewels Suction Crushing Jutsu]. Caught between a rock and a hard place, Orochimaru throws a hand down, sheds his body and runs down the empty husk to the earth like a snake to escape.

"What is this ? I have no intel about these puppets or abilities. He was already troublesome, but now that's an entirely bigger issue." Orochimaru, still shocked at the sight, runs away with this thought.

Sasori gets back inside hiruko after calling back his arsenal.

"I was right not to use the sealing technique. That crafty madman would've escaped regardless. And I can't let him know about it until I get him with it." He thinks to himself

"Damned snake. " Deidara curses.

"Revolting individual. But whatever. We got something out of this at least" The something in question is Kabuto, bound and stifled, with utmost fear in his eyes, fully aware of what's coming.

"We'll just have to torture the intel out of our trusted spy." Declares Sasori, with the dreadful and fixated gaze of his armored puppet Hiruko on Kabuto's terrified eyes.