A/N: THIS IS NOT A CROSSOVER. I'm repeating that just in case you haven't got the message. Also this chapter is one of the shorter ones.

Enjoy.

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Chapter 12: Final moments of a Hebi

Orochimaru sat attentively in the lone seat of his 'throne room', on his right was Kabuto and on his left was a high jounin guard whose name the Otokage didn't bother remembering. His focus, however, was centered on the odd pair of Akatsuki members in front of him.

"An alliance?" the Sannin asked in disbelief and suspicion.

"Hai. Shishou wishes to extend a partnership with your village, one that would be beneficial to both parties." Zetsu spoke as he drew nearer to the candlelight, revealing his venus-flytrap figure.

The snake summoner narrowed his eyes. "What right do you have to ask an alliance from me? I recall your organization attacking me not too long ago, what guarantees that it will not happen again?"

The second Akatsuki member stepped out of the shadows; an odd orange mask concealing his features. "Here's your guarantee Orochimaru-san."

Reaching inside his cloak, Tobi pulled out a pair of large scrolls and handed it to Kabuto, whom looked at the said items carefully.

"And what, pray tell are these?" the Sannin asked as he eyed the scrolls.

"Forbidden scrolls from Iwa and Kumo. I'm sure they would prove to be quite valuable." Zetsu answered.

Orochimaru's eyes flashed momentarily before returning to his normal expression. His gaze shifted towards Kabuto and the scrolls in his hands. "Open it."

The silver haired medic-nin nodded and cautiously opened the documents. For a few minutes, the room stayed silent as the Sannin's right hand man examined the contents. After another minute the medic-nin looked at his superior and nodded. "It's legit."

The snake Sannin closed his eyes in thought before opening them. He looked at Zetsu in the eye with a hardened stare. "Tell me, what would you do if I refuse?"

The grass-nin Akatsuki member quickly replied. "If you refuse, then you will be an enemy of Akatsuki, and will be terminated."

The Otokage closed his eyes again and pondered. A moment passed before his eyes opened and showed a twinkle of amusement. "I thank you, Zetsu-kun, for the gifts but…"

A smirk crossed Orochimaru's lips, slightly unnerving the two nukenins. With a snap of his fingers, numerous Oto-nins barged through the throne room entrance and surrounded the two nukenins.

"What is the meaning of this?" Zetsu asked, his face expressionless but his eyes glowed in anger.

"You say that I will become an enemy of Akatsuki if I refuse?" the snake Sannin spoke as he rose from his chair. "From the moment you interfered with my plans you became my enemy. Do not think I will easily forgive your assassination attempt on me six months ago."

The venus flytrap nukenin smirked back at him, his anger partially subsided. "If you still remember that day, then you should remember how easy it was for us to cripple you."

The Otokage sent a glare with a spike of killing intent, but soon composed himself. "Akatsuki was complete back then. I doubt you can pull that stunt again with your organization having lost some of its valued members."

Zetsu gritted his teeth while Tobi slightly fidgeted.

"We're in a pickle here Zetsu-senpai." the orange masked nukenin said as he scanned the Oto-nins around them.

With a silent command from the Sannin, the Oto-nins closed in on the Akatsuki members. One of them appeared at Orochimaru's side in a puff of smoke.

The smoke quickly dispersed, revealing Uchiha Sasuke dressed in what seemed to be a loose hakama.

"Your orders Orochimaru?" the Uchiha asked whilst activating his Sharingan.

The Sannin raised his hand signaling him to standby. "Any last words Zetsu-kun?"

"You will not get away with this." He sneered.

"Oh? And what can two Akatsuki members do against a whole village?" the Sannin asked in amusement.

Tobi stepped up and waved his finger disapprovingly. (the 'tsk tsk' motion) "Not two Orochimaru-san. Three!"

As if on cue, the two scrolls in Kabuto's hands glowed before jerking out from the medic-nin's grasp. The two items then unrolled on the floor in an 'X' shape.

The text inside the scrolls began to liquefy and deteriorate before merging together in the middle, creating a complex seal.

The snake Kage's eyes widened at the seal in realization. "A summoning?!"

A small lump formed in the spot where the scrolls met and continued to grow. As the bulge continued to grow, the gathered shinobis watched in anxiety and anticipation. Within half a minute the lump grew to a height of near six feet.

Orochimaru eyed the scene before him warily, with his hand ready to signal an attack.

The scrolls soon erupted in smoke, which disappeared as quickly as it came. A tall, orange haired man with red eyes and black cloak stood where the scrolls once lay. The man's eyes wandered around the room before his gaze rested on the Otokage.

"Orochimaru, it has been awhile." His voice was deep and emotionless.

The snake Sannin's eyebrow arched in curiosity as he analyzed the young looking Akatsuki member. "I take it you're the leader, your face is the only one I didn't see in my stay in that wretched organization. To think a brat like you commands a group of S-class criminals."

The Akatsuki leader didn't respond, instead he turned his attention to his subordinates behind him.

"I take it he refused?" he asked.

"Hai shishou." Zetsu responded.

The orange haired nin then locked eyes with the snake summoner. "I hope you know the consequences of your decision."

"Forgive my ignorance, Leader-sama, but I fail to see how three Akatsuki members can do against a whole village." Orochimaru spoke, sarcasm present as he spoke his name.

"A weakling like you will never understand."

The Otokage glared with killing intent rolling off him in waves. "I hope you enjoy mocking me, for it will be the last time you do."

His eyes turned to Sasuke, then at Kabuto. "Kill them."

The Uchiha nodded and drew his katana, whilst Kabuto activated his chakra scalpels. Their actions were soon followed as the gathered Oto-nins drew their respective weapons, many of which consisted of kunais and shuriken. With a war cry, the shinobis leapt and charged at the three opposing nukenins.

Zetsu stood ready along with Tobi, but before they could engage they were stopped with a hand gesture from their leader.

"Shishou?"

"I will handle this." He spoke as his crimson eyes began to glow.

The oncoming wave of Oto-nins drew closer, and in less than a second, closed the gap between the two parties.

The Akatsuki leader smirked as a green aura surrounded his being.

"Mokuton Hijutsu: Bijuu Chakrayose: Rokubi" (Wood Release Secret Technique: Tailed Beast Chakra Summoning: Six Tails)

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Kumo

The Raikage shuffled through paperwork in his office before hastily pushing it aside in surrender. He sighed as he rubbed his temple, irritation was visible in his visage.

A few seconds later a knock interrupted his musings.

"Enter." He said in a tired voice.

The door to his office opened and a tall, black haired man in his late thirties dressed in a Jounin uniform entered.

"Good evening Sandaime-sama." The man bowed as he approached to the middle of the office.

"Ah Kazune-kun, what brings you here at this hour." The Sandaime spoke while continuing to massage his temple.

The younger man took a chair and sat opposite to the Raikage. "I heard that the council didn't take your idea of an alliance with Konoha very well."

The elder nin sighed. "Those senile fools still bear a grudge with the Leaf."

"I see, the Hyuuga incident." Kazune nodded knowingly. "It seem those idiots still can't accept the fact that the humiliation Kumo received was their own doing."

"Yes, and because of that, they're blinded on the more important things." The kage spoke as he locked eyes with the younger man.

"You mean Akatsuki?"

"Not just Akatsuki, Otogakure as well. The fact that Orochimaru leads that village disturbs me." The elder nin leaned against his chair and took a calming breath. "But enough about that. I'm sure you have another reason why you came."

"Perceptive as always, Nagi-sama." The brunette nin smiled before his expression turned serious. "I'm worried about Yugito, a lot of us are, council excluded of course. Akatsuki was able to infiltrate our village without our knowledge until the last minute. The next time they come for Yugito they might just succeed."

Nagi raised an eyebrow at the sudden statement but his expression soon returned to normal. "That is why I'm pushing for an alliance with the Leaf."

Kazune cast a confused look towards the Kage. "Come again?"

The Raikage pulled a cigarette from his cabinet and lit it before replying. "Do you know that Konoha has a Jinchuuriki as well?"

'Jinchuuriki? The only bijuu that was in Fire country was…' The younger nin's eyes widened. "K-Kyuubi?!"

"Yes, Konoha has within in its ranks the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki as we have the Nibi." Nagi paused and took a puff. "I have been told by a source that Konoha is the only village so far that Akatsuki has failed in acquiring a Jinchuuriki in the past, excluding us at the moment."

"So in acquiring an alliance with them we can increase the chances of Yugito's safety." Kazune nodded in understanding.

"That's what I'm hoping for." Nagi said as he took another puff. "Though at the moment it seems impossible."

"Yeah, well it's not like we can just walk to Konoha's gates and say 'Hi!', now can we." The brunette joked.

"Actually we could." The kage replied, causing the other nin to deadpan.

"What I said was a joke, Nagi-sama."

"No you fool! I know that was a joke!" The Kage snapped.

"I'm sorry, but I don't quite follow where your going with this, sir." The raven haired nin frowned.

Nagi calmed himself as he leaned down on his chair. "It's simple, there are other possibilities.

"Other possibilities?" his charge asked.

The Raikage opened one of his cabinets and pulled out a folder containing numerous forms. Opening the folder he skimmed through the contents before closing it and placing it on his desk. "Tell me Kazune-kun, non-aggression is a wonderful thing isn't it?"

The younger shinobi smiled as he got the underlying message. "It always is Nagi-sama, it always is."

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Otokagure

"N-noo….stay away!" a Chuunin shrieked as he dragged himself away from the approaching Akatsuki nin.

The Chuunin's retreat, however, was soon stopped as he found himself trapped in a corner. "Get away from me monster!!"

Zetsu stepped closer to the nin, giving him a hungry look as he eyed the Oto-nin's blood flowing from his wounds. "You look palatable."

The Grass nukenin slowly made his way to the Chuunin, playing with him as a beast does with its prey. The said Oto-nin shook in fear with tears streaking down his cheeks and his bladder ready to loose control. Zetsu soon stood in front of the man, his tall frame casting a shadow on his prey. The venus flytrap cocoon that encased his body opened showing pieces of flesh and blood from his previous killings.

"I do hope you taste better than your comrades."

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Tobi quickly parried a strike before countering the Oto-nin with an impalement of three kunais in the said nin's heart. The opposing nin soon slumped to the ground with a small groan. The odd Akatsuki member was about to charge to another opponent before a loud yell reached his ears.

He looked to the location of the voice and found Zetsu's figure in a corner. Tobi slightly winced, he knew what his senpai was doing and truth be told, it disturbed him.

But before he can ponder any further, the orange masked shinobi was forced to duck a horizontal sword slice. Tobi then rolled away before standing at a ready stance with his attention to his newest enemy.

"Tch, your better than I thought." His opponent spoke as his Sharingan eye blazed.

"Ah! Sasuke-san! You really should take a break, wounds inflicted by Leader-sama heals slower than normal wounds do."

Sasuke quickly looked at his battered figure and the wounds received by the mysterious orange haired nin, but paid it no mind as he pointed his sword at the Akatsuki nin.

"You know, I don't think Itachi-san would be too happy if I killed his little brother." Tobi continued. His voice then became uncharacteristically serious. "Then again, you did disgrace your family name by siding with a snake. The 'Uchiha' name is nothing more than an accessory now."

The Uchiha growled at the mention of his brother and the masked nin's insult. Charging Chidori Nagashi around his figure, he rushed at the opposing Akatsuki nin with blinding speed. "You do not mock the name of Uchiha!"

"Yup, he's definitely nothing like his brother." Tobi sighed as he pulled out more kunais from his cloak. The kunais glowed before a sizzling sound emanated from them. With a quick motion, the metal projectiles flew to the raging Sharingan wielder.

Sasuke's doujutsu locked on to the kunais; he smirked as he continued his charge.

A loud and powerful explosion ensued, engulfing the surrounding area in dust and rubble. The orange masked shinobi stood still as debris flew past him, his eyes focused at the column of smoke in front of him, scanning for his opponent.

The sound of chirping birds made itself heard. Tobi looked to his left and found Sasuke hastily making his way towards him with lightning chakra focused on his right hand. The Uchiha's speed increased as he neared his enemy, whom was calmly eyeing the attack.

"Chidori!"

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Orochimaru was a person who wasn't easily intimidated, but the scene before him wasn't something he saw very often. His subordinates littered his throne room with their corpse and mangled flesh. Many of which where missing limbs and some where torn apart beyond recognition. His right hand man, Kabuto, was embedded in a nearby stone pillar, unconscious or dead, with numerous gashes that, despite the medic-nin's skill in healing, continued to bleed. The Sannin silently gulped as he laid eyes on the cause: the orange haired Akatsuki leader.

The said shinobi was standing a dozen of meters from him, vines and wooden branches wrapped around him while a dark indigo, nearing violet, lightning chakra visibly surged throughout his being.

The Sannin steeled his nerves as he locked eyes with the enigma. "What are you? A Jinchuuriki?"

The mysterious nin's crimson eyes flashed in anger. The bijuu chakra around him exploded momentarily, causing the snake summoner to unconsciously take a step back, before returning to their original state. "Do not compare me to those mere sacrifices."

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes. "Then what are you?!"

The questioned shinobi resumed silent as he stepped closer to the snake. The distance between the two soon reduced to than of a few meters. The Otokage drew out Kusanagi and pointed it defiantly at the cloaked man.

"Answer me!" he demanded with a hint of anxiety.

"I do not answer to a dead man walking." With that said, the Akatsuki leader extended his palm in Orochimaru's direction.

"Mokuton: Mokugadan."

Numerous wooden spikes erupted from the concrete floor and ceiling, all of which were pointed at the Sannin. The exposed wood glowed a green aura before each of them launched at the snake summoner. The wooden projectiles flew through the air at high speeds and neared their target in a blink of an eye, causing Orochimaru's eyes to widen.

Gripping Kusanagi's hilt tightly, he parried the first four missiles before barely dodging another five. The snake growled as one of the wooden objects lodged itself in his left shoulder, but paid it no mind.

The Sannin cursed as he sensed another flare of chakra. Turning his head to his opponent, he found another swarm making their approach.

Shifting to a stance, the snake nin sliced through three and deflected four more. Turning Kusanagi to its flat, blunt side, he sent the last two back to the orange haired nin at an even faster speed.

One of the wooden spikes flew past the orange haired man harmlessly, and as he tilted his head, so did the other projectile.

The snake Sannin gritted his teeth in fury. "You!"

The cloaked nin cast a look, silently showing that he had the snake's attention.

"That jutsu! That was Mokuton...how...how do you have that Kekkai Genkai?!" The snake nin exclaimed as he pointed the tip of Kusanagi at the questioned shinobi.

The crimson eyed Akatsuki stayed silent, much to Orochimaru's irritation. "If you won't answer then I'll make you! Sen'eitajashu!"

Multiple snakes shot forth from the Otokage's sleeves in an attempt to constrict the opposing shinobi. The reptiles' jaws snapped open showing their poison covered fangs. The Akatsuki leader dodged their strike, but Orochimaru continued with another assault.

Sidestepping to the right, the orange haired shinobi dodged the second attempt, but as he was about to dodge the snake's third, a force kept him from moving. The nin looked at his feet and found a large anaconda binding his legs.

"I have you now fool!" The Otokage bellowed as a multitude of snakes sprang from his sleeves for the fourth time. Though before the reptiles made contact, they were halted and held in place by vines covered in indigo chakra.

"Your tricks won't work on me." The leader sent a pulse of chakra, causing the vines to extend further and reach all the way back to Orochimaru, restricting the Otokage. "During your time in Akatsuki, I have studied you as I have all of the other members. I know your techniques well, and a counter for every one of them."

The snake Sannin tried to release himself from the hold, but it was in vain. Eyeing Kusanagi in his right hand, he was about to grab it with his tongue to free himself, but before he could make the slightest movement more vines appeared and covered his mouth.

"Don't even try it." The leader warned; his outstretched palm clenched to a fist, causing the remaining vines to impale the Sannin. Orochimaru's eyes widened, but that was the only reaction that showed.

"As I thought, your self-induced experiments gave you a high tolerance from all types of pain. But…" The Mokuton user sent a wave of bijuu chakra to the vines that skewed the Sannin's body. The extreme, invading foreign chakra caused the snake's eyes to widen further and his body to twitch violently. "…I bet you never experienced that type of pain before have you?"

Parts of Orochimaru's body began to smoke while other parts of his body started to swell.

"Your use has run out snake. It's time for you to die."

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Yes I'm leaving a cliffhanger, I know I'm evil. So if you want more, then review!! Even short messages would be nice.

(Sen'eitajashu) Hidden Shadow Many Snake Hands

(Mokuton: Mokugadan) Wood Release: Wood Fang Bullet

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