Shinju was fussing over Kakuzu as they all waited for Pein. "Are you rested? Do you have everything you need?" she pestered him. "I'm as well rested as I can be with you being so needy last night" he said as he looked at the smaller woman, smiling. Hidan was standing off to the side, making "tch" noises as he watched them. "Are you ready to go, Hidan?" Shinju asked him. "Ready as fucking ever bitch!" He said as he rested his scythe on his shoulder.

Kisame checked Kay's weapons pouch, making sure she didn't forget anything. "Itachi. Do you have extra paper bombs?" He asked his partner. Itachi nodded and passed some over. "There. She's stocked up" he said as he put the bombs into her pouch and handed it to her. She strapped it to her hips and gave Kisame a kiss. "Be safe. I'll see you when you get back" she said. Turning to Itachi, she gave him a kiss as well and wished him safety and luck on his mission.

"You're all here. You know your targets. Scatter!" Pein said as the group broke up and went in different directions.

Days later Pein, Itachi and Kisame stood amongst the trees on the outskirts of Konoha. "Tsunade has the ANBU maintaining a barrier to protect the Village. I can slip in without being detected so give me a few minutes and I'll get you two in" the Uchiha said as he disappeared into the trees. "Well, if this goes well then we've crippled the strongest of the Great Nations. I hope they put up a decent fight" the shark-man said while grinning maliciously. Pein said nothing and watched for Itachi's signal.

Running silently along the rooftops, Itachi made his way to the top of the Kage building. Four elite ANBU barrier shinobi were sitting cross legged in a circle, their eyes closed as they focused their chakra on the barrier. Drawing four kunai, Itachi crouched, aimed and let the weapons fly. Four heads neatly rolled off their necks and the barrier came down.

Pein spotted the crow and motioned to Kisame. "Let's go". Both men walked through the Village's gates after Kisame made quick work of the gate guards. Pein walked to the middle of the Village, spread his arms and said "I am Pein. You will all now know pain" as a shockwave from one of his bodies decimated the Village's center. Buildings collapsed, greenery was uprooted and people were crushed against nearby objects by the force of the shockwave.

Kisame placed Samehada on his shoulder and looked around. He spotted a group of shinobi headed his way and grinned. "Are you hungry Samehada? Today, you can feast!" he said as he ran to meet the group, swinging his fearsome sword.

Itachi was skillfully dodging and fending off the ANBU that came for him after he had killed the barrier shinobi. Bodies littered the rooftops as he cut down wave after wave of ANBU. He grabbed a slowly dying kunoichi and demanded to know where Tsunade was. "Fuck you traitor!" she spat in his face. His Sharingan swirled as he looked into her eyes and he read what he needed to know in them. He dropped her body and made his way to the top of the Hokage's Cliff.

"Where is Naruto?!" Neji growled as he fought alongside his team. "No idea but we can defeat the monster! By the power of YOUTH!" Guy screamed as he continued to fight Kisame. "Me? A monster?" Kisame mocked, "its people like you who falsely label those as monsters. But don't worry, I'll dine on her delicious flesh when we're done" he said while grinning evilly at Ten Ten. She shuddered as Neji moved her behind him so he could protect her.

Kakashi clashed against Pein and he was losing. He had activated his Sharingan but it was too late in the battle. Pein had the upper hand and was enjoying crushing the Copy Cat Ninja to death. Others had tried to come to Kakashi's rescue but each had been killed by either Pein or one of Pein's bodies. The Jounin was slumped over in the rubble of the Village he loved and he tried to keep his eyes open. Pein approached him. "You fought well. Your reputation is hard earned. But now, your reputation is all you have left. Greet your loved ones when you see them" and flung a nail that penetrated Kakashi's skull and into his brain, killing the famed ninja.

Samehada slurped up the last of Guy's chakra as Kisame looked at the bodies that surrounded him. Seeing so many young shinobi lying at his feet reminded him of his "exam" in Kirigakure, where he had to slaughter his classmates to advance in the ranks. He bent down and touched Ten Ten's face, "such a shame. Kay would've liked you" he said softly before getting up and going hunting for his next target.

Itachi stood in front of Tsunade who was waiting for him at the Cliff. "So, you've dared to show your face!" she snarled at him. "The Uchiha and the Senju have been fated to meet each other in combat one final time. This time, the Uchiha will be the victors" Itachi said as he waited for her to make a move. "THE UCHIHA WILL DIE WITH YOU!" She screamed as she ran at him, her fists charged with chakra.

He leapt away as her fists connected with the ground he had been standing on, causing cracks to appear in the First Hokage's face. She snarled and turned around, coming for another attack. Itachi leapt away again and this time the cracks appeared in the Second Hokage's face. "If you keep this up, you will literally wipe the Senju off the Village's Cliff" he remarked as he stood on the Fourth Hokage's head. "You have no right to stand where those greater than you are remembered!" Tsunade screamed. "These people?" Itachi scoffed, "mere names on a record, a poor effigy carved into stone. They mean nothing if the people who cared about them are gone."

Katsuya spoke into Tsunade's ear and the Sannin stopped her attack. She had a choice to make: try and save her people or try and end the threat. She sat down and focused her chakra. The diamond on her forehead glowed as she sent her chakra to Katsuya's clones in a effort to keep her shinobi fighting. "It won't do any good" Itachi said, approaching her. "The battle was decided when you let your emotions get the best of you" he continued, standing over the wizened form of the Fifth Hokage and remaining member of the Senju clan. "Go, be with Jiraiya" Itachi said softly as his kunai sliced across her neck. As she felt her hot blood gush down her throat and stain her clothing, she closed her eyes and smiled. Soon she would be with her beloved.

Pein stood in the middle of the crater he had made during his fight with Kakashi. A blonde shinobi dropped in front of him, leaping off a large toad's head. "Why are you attacking my home? My people?!" He yelled. "You are?" Pein asked. "NARUTO UZUMAKI AND THIS IS MY VILLAGE, DATTEBAYO!" Naruto shouted in Pein's face. "The jinchuriki? We've been waiting for you" he said. Growling, Naruto charged Pein with a Rasengan ready to go in his hand. Pein stepped to the side and whacked him with a chakra rod on the back of his head. Wincing and rubbing where he had been hit, Naruto spun around and launched another attack which Pein easily dodged.

"Your youth and impulsivity are against you. I'm surprised that Jiraiya didn't instil more discipline in you" Pein said as he tripped the young shinobi and pierced his hands and feet with chakra rods, pinning him to the ground. Naruto lay on the ground on his stomach in some kind of perverse crucifixion pose and he struggled to break free. Hinata, who had been watching from the sidelines after escaping Kisame, moved to protect Naruto. Itachi's hand held her back, "don't get involved" he said to her in a kind voice.

Her lavender eyes widened and turned to look back at the two shinobi battling. "You showed great promise, almost living up to your father's reputation. But you will never be Hokage" he finished as a long black chakra rod extended from his hand. Pein stabbed the rod into the back of Naruto's skull, killing him instantly.

Itachi left the crowd and went to stand beside Pein. "Your Hokage is dead. Your elite shinobi are dead. Naruto is dead. Konoha is now in my hands. Drop your weapons and swear allegiance to myself and the Akatsuki and I might let you live" Itachi said. Kisame stood beside him, cradling his bloated sword who was groaning and snuffling because it consumed too much chakra. One by one, the surviving villagers bowed down to Itachi.

"Well that was easy," Kisame remarked, "I wonder how the girls are doing?" he asked as he looked in the direction of Suna. "I'm sure they're fine" Itachi said to his worried partner. "We need to take him back to the hideout so we can extract the Nine Tails" Pein said, placing the body on his shoulder. "Zetsu! You're to keep an eye on things here until I get back" Itachi ordered one of the clones who nodded. The three men headed back in the direction they came from to complete their Tailed Beast collection.