The Akatsuki Advance

"This counts as the Akatsuki's first mission together, doesn't it?" Deidara said excitedly atop his Bird.

"Word that I beat the Kazekage should spread through the entire Shinobi World soon. Then my art will spread everywhere!"

"It was my eternal art that beat him! If he hadn't been poisoned, you'd never have taken him down so easily!" said the hunched figure.

"I told you, the Art of the Instant is true art!"

"No, eternal art is!"

The two argued, but no matter how heated it got, neither made a move.

The Clay Bird slowly came to a stop before a cave.

Deidara tossed out a clay centipede. It dragged someone into the cave.

That someone was Gaara, unconscious.

"Footsteps!"

The two went on guard, relaxing only when they saw that the arrivals wore the same clothes as them.

"Shisui, Kisame, and Hiruko!"

Kisame dropped Yugito from his shoulder onto the ground.

A transparent figure surrounded by rainbow-colored ripples appeared before them.

"Summoning Technique: Demonic Statue of the Outer Path!"

A monstrous giant with a hideous face, a body the color of dead wood, and nine tightly shut eyes appeared before them.

Several figures instantly appeared on the monster's fingers.

"Let me introduce our new member. This is Hiruko, a rogue Ninja from Konoha who possesses five Kekkei Genkai!" the leader announced.

From the moment he arrived, he radiated an authority that commanded obedience without a word.

Perhaps only he could keep so many unruly rogue Ninja in line.

"We need to seal two Tailed Beasts now. It'll take about six days!"

"But Konoha and Sunagakure will probably come after us. Who'll hold them off?" Pain asked.

Several White Zetsu emerged from the ground.

"We'll do it!"

"Shapeshifting Technique!"

Four White Zetsu underwent a mysterious transformation, taking the forms of several