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Aki stared after him, before bending down and lifting his cracked mask gently off the ground.

'Ryu... what's going to happen to you?'

Stepping back inside her apartment, she lay the mask on her table, setting down her mug next to it. She moved to her deck, staring blankly out over the expansive forests.

"That mask proves you have the potential to be ANBU, you just need to prove it...."

Growling lightly, she reached into her closet, switching her Jounin vest and longsleeve shirt for a tighter spandex top, lacking sleeves. Re-wrapping her knee and strapping two more pouches to her belt, she removed her headband and strapped her mask to her face.

"Let's go, Nobilis."

"Suirou no jutsu (Water Prison Jutsu)" Kisame said as one of his clones created a sphere of water around Kisuke. "Try and escape now, you little pest" the Real Kisame said walking up to him with Samehada, swinging down to give Kisuke the the shave of his life.

"KISAME, Stop." Itachi stated opening his eyes, revealing the Mangekyo Sharingan, the real Kisame immediately stopped and leapt back next to Itachi. "You grow iritatting, so i'm gonna give you a warning, if you ever try and recapture him from us, you'll face just the same...TSUKUYOMI."

Aki paused on her way out the door, spotting the photo. Gently picking it up in her bandaged fingers, she gazed at the image, then turned it over, reading the single word. Her brow furrowed in thought, perplexed at this.

Sticking it carefully into her pouch, she went out the door, Nobilis on her shoulder, wind howling through the trees.

"And you shouldn't underestimate me. I knew you were there, and your abilities." Ryu grabs Kisuke and jumps back. He winced when he landed. s**t, just a bit longer.

"Suiton: Suikoudan no jutsu" (Water element: Water Shark Missle) The clones of Kisame dispersed and gather behind Kisame, then a shark appeared in the water and lunged at Ryu and Kisuke.

Suddenly a clay spider leaped onto Ryu and a large clay bird landed on the ground, with another Akatsuki member on top.

"KATSU, Sorry i'm late, it seems my clay sculptures have taken a liking to you, stranger" the man said as he stepped off the bird, and created more clay spiders from his hands, and sent them at Ryu, constricitng him to the point where he couldnt move. As soon as he finished saying Katsu, a large explosion, erupted from Konoha.

"Deidara, you finally arrived it took you long enough"

"I'm sorry, I had to finish up what I was doing, hopefully the hokage wont bother us anymore."

"AH, so i take it you did try and blow up the Hokage's quarters, it seems you were succesful. Kisame said as debris started to fall on the area. "So how much clay did you use this time, Deidara?"

"I dont know, prolly around...4 tons of clay."

"If your worried about me blowing you up, you dont have anything to worry about, i dont have any intention of killing you. I've already done my part of the plan, by exploding half of Konoha." Deidara said cloming closer to Ryu.

"Deidara, dont get too cocky, this one has some tricks up his sleeve. Itachi stated. "Infact, go catch up with Kakuza and Hidan, see if they've made it to the border yet.