The Lost Heir

25

Itachi stared calmly back at him. So this is the legendary Rinnegan... Itachi thought. For a moment, there was silence. Then Itachi sensed a sudden mass of chakra behind him. Turning around, he saw Danzo and a masked Akatsuki ninja stepping out of a swirling vortex in thin air.
"Desist, Itachi." Danzo commanded. Itachi took a step back, confused. Then his eyes narrowed a little bit. So Danzo really was behind everything back then... I was right. Itachi thought.
"Orochimaru, take Takomatsu and let us get out of here." Pain said, turning his back to Itachi and walking away.
"Amaterasu!" Itachi's mangekyo sharingan spun and the black flames of Amaterasu appeared, burning through Pain's Akatsuki cloak, and burning his body greatly. No one moved.
"You are not getting away from me with that boy!" Itachi said.

Everyone eyed the burning body warily. That was until another orange haired Akatsuki stepped forward. His eyes were also that of the Rinnegan. From behind him, was a giant demonic looking head. The mouth opened and he stretched his arm inside. Itachi's eyes widened as he saw the person whose body he had just burned with his Amaterasu walk out, unscathed and alive.
"That was unexpected." Pain said. "But you are most definitely a dangerous individual. So we cannot have you following us." He held out his hand.
"Shinra Tensei." Itachi felt a sudden push - it was so strong that he was sent flying at such a speed that he couldn't even tell where he was. He crashed into the ground, and groaned once. His vision faded to nothing, his body, nothing but pain.

-----

The group continued to head towards the Uzumaki clan's Village. With Takamatsu in tow, they were confident that the plan would succeed. However, Pain suddenly stopped moving. He turned his head towards the back where Danzig was receiving a bird made entirely of ink.
"Danzo? What are you doing?" He asked suspiciously. Danzo looked at them.
"My spy has contacted me from within the Uzumaki clan village. It appears the jinchuriki is heavily guarded." Danzo replied without missing a beat. Pain nodded.
"Good. Keep us informed." He ordered and they all continued to move ahead. Danzo unrolled an empty scroll. The bird burst into ink on top of the scroll, neatly writing out a message:

The location of the real Pain has been found. Here is a rough sketch and location of his whereabouts.
~ Sai

Danzo nodded once before forming a hand seal. The ink rewrote itself into his own message and then turned into a bird and flew off. He rolled up the empty scroll and continued onwards. For now he was still heading in the right direction, but he had to think up of an excuse once he reached the point where he would have to walk a different path than the others. Upon reaching the said fork, Danzo stopped.
"I must meet with my spy. He has some documents from the Uzumaki Village for us." Danzo said. The rest of the Akatsuki looked at him. Pain narrowed his eyes slightly but said nothing.
"Let's go." He said as he turned and continued onwards. When Danzo finally left, Pain turned his head.
"Konan, follow him." The blue haired woman nodded. She knew that Pain had his reasons. Danzo was a suspicious figure, and she had been told by Pain himself that Danzo was keeping secrets. Like the right eye not just any normal sharingan, but rather one belonging to Uchiha Shisui. Or the fact that his entire right arm was embedded in sharingan.

Konan followed behind Danzo as he headed off in his own direction. She'd been careful to conceal her presence, and followed from very far away, using her paper form to keep track of his position. She'd done this many a time, and the added bonus was that she was a sensory type ninja as well. She could track Danzo from miles away if needed. Konan remained cautious. She of all people knew how cunning and deceptive the old man was and she was not going to fall prey to his lies again. She would eliminate him herself if he started getting out of hand.

She watched as the old man stopped by a river and received a scroll from a masked ninja. This was starting to get suspicious. And then as Danzo headed off, Konan had a moment of realisation. He was heading in a straight line to Nagato. That old geezer wants to control Nagato!? Not on my watch! Konan though furiously as she resumed tracking him.

-----

The Uzumaki Village was in total disarray by the time Pain had arrived. Many, many ninja from all the other villages were clashing, leaving large trails of destruction in their battles. Pain's eyes could clearly see that there was a chakra barrier thrown up around the village to protect itself. He placed a hand on it.
"Shinra Tensei" he muttered, but nothing happened. Hmm, a very well made chakra barrier jutsu... no matter. If I absorb the chakra then it just disappears. He thought. One of the other rinnegan bearing Akatsuki walked up and placed their hand on the barrier. Within seconds the barrier could be seen physically being sucked into the hands of that particular pain.

The Akatsuki continued forward into village which was no longer shrouded by the chakra barrier. The sight that greeted them was something else. Even they were taken back by it. It was deathly, ghostly. There was no one who was not petrified. They all stood in various positions, all grey and lifeless. Statues. The whole lot. The Akatsuki member wearing an orange mask stepped forward.
"Right. Now is the time. Do it Pain." He intoned and Pain nodded. Everyone stared, completely shocked. And here they thought Pain was the leader. As Pain stepped up, there was a brief moment of hesitation.

"What is it?" Tobi asked. The six pains all simultaneously fell to the ground and Tobi immediately went on guard. So did the other Akatsuki.
"I don't sense any chakra in them. What happened?" Kisame asked. Tobi cursed. That Danzo... Nagato has been compromised then...

Tobi sighed. He grabbed the wrapped package that was lying on the ground. To break this petrification stage, one must utilise something that is a product of Naruto. Tobi chuckles silently to himself. If people thought it meant a child, they were wrong. The chakra trace within the item was required. A child had unique chakra to that of the parents, although that chakra signature is similar due to blood, it is not the same. Tobi turned to Temari, who was still tied up.

"And now you will get to watch, as we tear out the nine tails and end his life." Tobi said ominously. He walked up to the petrified Naruto. "Oh and we also have a guest." Tobi pointed to Orochimaru, who revealed the unconscious Takomatsu he'd been keeping hidden. Temari's face turned red with anger but she couldn't say or do anything. The chakra seals binding her were too strong. Tobi placed the memento onto the statue and formed a hand seal.
"Release!" He said.

Nothing happened.

For a moment. Then a rumbling sound could be heard before a giant explosion rocked the ground. Temari closed her eyes and braced herself. She could only hope that Takomatsu was also bound by chakra seals. A giant wave of pure nature chakra exploded from the statue as a result of the memento - Tobi and the rest of the Akatsuki were caught in the explosion, unable to stop it.