The trio left the Hidden rain village and headed towards the outskirts of the Hidden Stone village.
Somewhere in the forest…
"Over there?" Sasori asked.
"Yeah!" Itachi replied.
The five entered the house with an open door.
They stepped into a spacious hall that was surrounded by statues on both sides with a man sitting in the center with his back against the trio at the end of the hall.
"We are from Akatsuki!" Sasori announced.
"Akatsuki?" Deidara asked as he turned his head to see the three standing behind him.
"Sorry, but that really has nothing to do with me," Deidara said as he turned back to shaping his clay.
"The only thing I want to do is concentrate on my art, hmm!" Deidara said as he admired his creation in his hand.
"Art?" Sasori asked.
"The art I create with clay that I make myself."
"It can also explode!"
"And when it does, it makes its existence more sublime…"
"And that's when it finally becomes true art!"
"Because....Art…"
"…is an explosion!!"
"Hmm!" Deidara concluded.
"And I have to take this brat on as my partner?"
"Sure, he's full of energy,"
"But he seems like the type to die young," Sasori said as he looked towards Itachi.
"It's our leader's orders…"
"His talent will be very useful, "Itachi said.
"How do you know about my talent?" Deidara asked.
"We know you're aiding anti-government factions of neighboring nations with bombings…"
"You're a Rogue Ninja, but what is your purpose?" Itachi asked.
"Purpose? I don't need a purpose!"
"I take commissions to cause explosions…using my art," Deidara replied.
"He's annoying," Sasori commented.
"Is he done?" Kisame asked Itachi.
"Who knows…?" Itachi replied as he stepped out of the group
"I'll handle this"
Itachi bent his head down as he said…
< Sharingan > *
"What?"
"You want to fight?" Deidara asked as he turned back.
"Yes, and if I win, you'll become a member of the Akatsuki," Itachi said confidently.
"Don't underestimate me… or my art, either!"
"Hmm!" Deidara threw his spider type clay which he had just created towards Itachi.
Deidara raised his up hand with a hand seal.
Itachi saw the spider fly towards him as he jumped backward.
"HA!" Deidara shouted causing the clay to explode, right before which Itachi had dodged to the side.
(BOOM!)
Deidara dug both his hands into the purse on either side of his hips.
The hands collected the clay and started to shape the clay into little spiders.
"Have a taste of my supremely awesome, cool and ultimate art,"
"Hmm!" Deidara said as he set about six spiders that crawled in top speed towards Itachi.
The battle went on while the trio behind Itachi watched a figure that was standing in a daze.
"Itachi!"
"Finish it up!" Pain ordered.
Itachi understood as he sped up his Genjutsu.*
"You're much better than I expected"
"However…!" Deidara paused upon which…
A clay-based huge centipede climbed out of the ground as it wound around Itachi.
"This is the end of you, Hmm!" Deidara smiled as though he had everything in hand.
"Before you do anything, you should take a look at yourself," Itachi said in a calm voice.
"Hm?" Deidara found something strange as he looked down only to see himself bound by the clay centipede.
"Genjutsu!" Deidara gritted in anger.
"Since when…?" Deidara asked.
"Right from the beginning" Kisame replied causing Deidara to turn towards him.
"When you first saw Itachi's Sharingan, you were already under his Genjutsu."
Itachi jumped to the top of one of the statues that were under a window.
Deidara turned to see Itachi who had a bright light shine upon him from the window behind.
From Deidara's point of view, Itachi appeared like a divine good with the light shining upon him as though he was a divine figure, just like the other statues in the hall.
"This..is..art!" Deidara slowly murmured.
Itachi stared down at Deidara from the top "You've lost the match."
"Aaaauuuuuuggghhhhhh!!!!" Deidara shouted in anger.
(Screeeecccchhhhhh!!!)
Deidara struck through the Hidden Stone symbol on his Headband and draped on the Akatsuki robe given to him.
He turned to face the five from Akatsuki as he said
"Let me make it clear,"
"I won't stop in my pursuit of art!" Deidara made his stance on the matter.
Pain walked towards Deidara as he said
"Now that you're a part of the Akatsuki, I expect you to fulfill your missions."
Pain held his hand towards Deidara signifying that he wanted to give something.
Deidara brought his hand under Pain's.
An item dropped.
Deidara saw that it was a ring. A gem was on the ring with the Kanji character for Blue.
Deidara wore it on his finger and then pointed towards a direction as he spoke…
"You over there!"
He pointed towards Itachi.
"I'll never get caught up in your Genjutsu again, hmm!" Deidara declared.
"Now that you're one of us,"
"I'll doubt that I'll have to use my Genjutsu on you," Itachi said.
"I don't mind giving you a taste of my art." Deidara tried to provoke.
"Leave it at that." Sasori interrupted.
Pain looked at Sasori as he ordered.
"Partner up with Deidara and go kill Orochimaru."
"It's about time…" Sasori said as he hauled his body forward (Hiruko form).
"Who is this Orochimaru?" Deidara asked.
"I'll tell you on the way…"
Sasori said as he led Deidara away…
"You Akatsuki sure like to order guys around…" Deidara complained.
"Hey hurry up," Sasori said.
"I know!" Deidara said as he followed behind.
Pain looked towards Itachi and Kisame "Itachi and Kisame,"
"go to the Hidden grass village."
"What about my partner?" Kakuzu asked
"Wait just a while longer."
"I am currently keeping an eye on the Hidden Steam village."
"There is an interesting subject there…"
Sasori and Deidara walked through the forest.
"I've ordered Kabuto to keep me updated through several ways," Sasori said as he approached a stone.
Sasori placed his fingers on the stone in a peculiar manner.
(Grrrr!!!)
The stone moved from its place revealing a small space beneath it.
A scroll was kept inside…
Sasori bent down to retrieve the scroll.
"Shifting hideouts."
"One month."
"Chuunin Exams"
"Kazekage assassination…"
Sasori kept reading in between the lines causing Deidara to frown.
Sasori then kept the scroll on the ground and burnt it.
"Sasori, my man…"
"What is the plan?"
Sasori looked towards Deidara.
"In about one month, no twenty-nine days from now, we should go to the Hidden Sand Village in the Land of Winds."
"Naruto!"
"Um?"
"Do you know about summoning techniques?" Jiraiya asked.
"Yes."
"Have you signed any summoning contracts before?"
"No…"
"Okay!" Jiraiya opened his left palm and bit his right finger. He then swiped the blood onto the left palm.
< Boar > < Dog > < Bird > < Monkey > < Ram >
< Ninja Art - Summoning Jutsu! >
Jiraiya pressed his palm onto the ground.
A seal immediately appeared on the ground containing characters in a circular formation.
(Poof!) A huge amount of smoke appeared above the seal, which later revealed a medium sized orange frog holding a giant scroll.
The frog slowly stretched out its tongue, handing over the scroll to Naruto.
"Open that scroll."
"It's a contract with the summoning toads that I've taken over from generations."
"Sign your name in your blood and stamp the fingerprints of one hand in blood under that."
Jiraiya pointed to a specific part of the scroll.
Naruto bit on his finger and wrote his name in blood while also being reminded of the first time he did it.
("It has been a long time since I have seen GamBunta boss in action…")
Naruto then performed the seals.
< Boar > < Dog > < Bird > < Monkey > < Ram >
< Ninja Art - Summoning Jutsu! >
(POOF!)
Jiraiya almost had his eyes pop out.
("I can't believe it. First try, and he had to summon the most troublesome one of them all.")
Jiraiya thought as he saw the smoke reveal the hidden figure underneath.
(Not good!)
Jiraiya swiftly reacted by erasing his presence and blended in with the bushes.
"JIRAIYA!"
"WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?"
"YOU DARE TO SUMMON ME FOR TRICKS?"
GamBunta yelled as he searched for Jiraiya.
"Hey, little brat."
Naruto frowned a bit.
("I knew frogs used to be grumpy, but man I did not see that one coming.")
"Yes?" Naruto asked.
"Where's Jiraiya?"
Naruto smirked as he pointed towards Jiraiya who was hiding in the bushes.
"Naruto!" Jiraiya screamed.
"JIRAIYA!" Gambunta screamed back shutting Jiraiya up.
In the great sage hall of Mount Myoboku.
"I sense a great change is about to begin."
"This storm is much more than just changing the world."
"The student of Jiraiyboy was supposed to bring either great destruction or great peace"
"That was the vision I had seen."
"The new vision now involves the otherworldly."
"Has Jiraiya boy come in contact with that fated student of his?" The Great Elder thought as he looked towards the sky from his seat in the hall.