By the time I got close to the battle ground, explosions were booming throughout the forest. Thankfully, Kitty was already out of range once I was halfway here. I could see Sasuke battling the one Akatsuki members while the other was laying traps for him. Suddenly, the other member disappeared making me scan the area looking for him but he was completely gone. I slowed my pace just as he appeared in front of me.

"Hi!" He greeted with an enthusiastic tone taking me by surprise but I held my composure. I looked at him barley seeing anything except a cloak, an orange mask, and spiky black hair. "Tobi is a good boy!" He shouted again making me raise a brow.

"Who the hell is this guy?" I thought as he took a step forward making me take a step back.

"You have really pretty eyes! They remind me of a dragon! Oooooo I know you! You're Snake Lady!"

"Snake...Lady?" I questioned him.

"Leader-sama has told Tobi aaaaaall about Snake Lady!" He giggled placing his hands over where his mouth would be.

"How is this guy in the Akatsuki?" I wondered as I saw he wasn't on his guard at all leaving him wide open. "There's no way they'd let just anybody into the organization. It has to be an act."

To test my theory, I threw several kunai towards him which were easily deflected. He looked unfazed as if nothing had happened.

"Is Snake Lady a bad guy or good guy?" Tobi questioned which took me by surprise.

"Excuse me?"

"Tobi asked if you were good or bad. You have to listen when Tobi is talking silly." He proceeded to skip around me like a child.

I honestly didn't know the answer but as I thought of everything I've done up to this point, the bad outweighed the good.

"Uh, bad?" I answered tilting my head a bit.

"Tobi is a good boy! I wish you were good too so we could be friends!"

"What did your Leader say about me?" I questioned him ignoring his comment.

"He said we shouldn't approach you alone."

"And what are you doing now?" I questioned him which took him a few moments to understand what I said.

"Facing you alone! But Tobi isn't worried, you can't hurt Tobi!" He finished then disappeared once more.

I scanned for him again but he was nowhere in sight. By the time I saw him appear in front of me, he kicked me towards a tree then kicked again back to where I originally was.

"What kind of jutsu is he using?!" I thought as I got to my feet.

He disappeared once more but this time I saw him appear in front of me so I quickly raised my knee hitting him in the abdomen. He hunched forward in pain so I took the same leg and kicked him away from me.

"Oooow, that wasn't nice Snake Lady!" Tobi whined like a child making me scowl. He was gone once again and reappeared behind me wrapping his arms around my waist. "Don't worry Snake Lady, I forgive you."

He was starting to irritate me so I focused on my back igniting it with fire causing Tobi to scream with a more mature and deeper voice.

"So this is a persona, he must act like this so people let their guard down." I thought as I watched him drop to the ground rolling back and forth rapidly to extinguish the flames.

I could see Sasuke was still handling his own with the other Akatsuki member but he was in his cursed form which concerned me a bit. His opponent was almost out of chakra but if Sasuke was relying on his curse mark, then he must be almost at his limit also. When Tobi was finished rolling around, he sat up sniffling as if he was crying.

"Why would you hurt me Snake Lady?" He cried.

I made hand signs creating a fireball but it went right through him.

"What? Who the hell is this guy? No wonder he's with the Akatsuki, his ability is unheard of." I wondered as I blocked Tobi's attacks.

Left and right he came at me giggling as if he didn't have a care in the world. I was struggling to keep up with his attacks but I was somehow managing with my eyes. Just as I finally saw an opening, he completely disappeared once more. I was on my guard as I anticipated him to appear again but after a few minutes nothing had happened. Finally I saw him again but he was five miles from my location. I debated on going after him but Sasuke needed my help.

He was running low on chakra just like his opponent but I know the Akatsuki always have something up their sleeve. I ran towards the two masking my chakra once I was close enough.

"Lightning style is your weakness, isn't it?" Sasuke said to the man and by his face, he was right.

"Then, when you attacked me with that lightning blade,"

"Earth style is vulnerable to lightning, so I knew the lightning blade would defuse your bombs."

"Damn you," he growled clenching his jaw.

"By the way, my technique is called chidori,"

"When did you realize?"

"After those landmines, I knew then but I've been analyzing it from the start." Sasuke started then explained his thought process during their fight.

"Ugh just finish him already Sasuke, stop the talking." I complained from above which made them look up at me making Sasuke smirk.

"I was wondering when you'd show up." He said as I jumped down next to him.

"I had a run in with his partner, such a strange guy. So, you going to finish this guy or keep talking?"

"You!" The man shouted as he got to his feet. "Heh, Orochimaru's daughter teaming up with the one who killed her Father? You must be desperate for company." He laughed but soon lost his balance falling back to the ground.

"I wouldn't be talking if I were you, you're at your limit." I replied as my red eyes stared into his blue ones.

"Now, tell me where Itachi is." Sasuke said as he walked closer towards the Akatsuki member.

The blonde shot out clay snakes from his palms which I easily cut with my sword. I moved to my right catching Sasuke before he fell from exhaustion.

"Let me handle his attacks Sasuke, I have plenty of chakra."

"Heh, I still win. I still have some detonating clay left...Huh? How are you both calm? Shouldn't you be worried even a little? Come on, hm."

"What's there to be worried about? He's got me." I said confidently.

"You're about to be killed by my art,"

"Heh, those explosions were your art? That's not art."

It seemed that my comment didn't make him mad as I expected but he stared in bewilderment at Sasuke's blank face then proceeded to laugh.

"That is was annoys me the most about you and your brother!" He shouted in anger towards Sasuke. "You think you're just so cool! Those eyes, those overconfident eyes make me so sick. Your eyes always judging my art!"

"Uh I think everyone judges you and your so called 'art'," I said before lunging towards him punching him in the face. "I'm done with this talking, tell us where Itachi is or else I will end you." I finished kicking his side making him fly into a tree.

He only got to his knees and ripped off his shirt revealing a mouth near his shoulder. He took out a hunk of clay making me weave hand signs sending wind from my palm knocking the clay out of this hand. He turned towards me with anger in his face with a growl.

"Ending you will be glorious, I've wanted to kill that snake for years but killing his daughter seems even better!" He shouted as he sent out even more clay snakes my way which I countered with my real ones.

He made an earth seal making the snakes explode sending me back towards the tree line. He held the clay up to the mouth on his chest which ate the clay within seconds. Moments later, it looked as if his skin started to crack turning a few shades darker looking like dirt.

"This is my ultimate art, this time I'm going to detonate myself! In death I shall become art itself, no one has seen ever before!" He shouted maniacally as he started to become transparent. "I'll leave a scar on this Earth and then I'll receive admiration for my art than anyone has ever seen before! And while I'll be admired, you'll be dead!"

I looked over at Sasuke who tried to get up but fell to the side; this was up to me. I ran towards him sword in hand but he jumped out of the way.

"This explosion will cover a 6 mile radius, in that condition you can't get away from me Uchiha!" He shouted as he was completely transparent besides the black veins coursing through his body. My eyes widened when I saw a small black face emerge from his chest. "Recoil in despair, cower in awe!"

"Slicing blade!" I shouted as I aimed for what was left of his head but he was completely absorbed into the face. I gritted my teeth in anger as I looked towards Sasuke. I dashed towards him quickly putting his arm over my shoulder and stood him up. "We have to get out of here Sasuke."

I could see all the animals in the vicinity retreating knowing what was to come. Honestly, I was afraid knowing we wouldn't get out of range in time being this close. I could see Tobi a few miles away but I knew with his power, he wasn't worried. The face started to crack emitting light from each hole making my eyes widen. I quickly turned away dragging Sasuke away from the area as fast as I could but it was too late.

I weaved hand signs pouring all the chakra I had into it attempting to make a wall that could take most of the blast. My eyes met Sasuke's and instinct took over. I quickly moved him in front of me trying to use myself as a shield as my Earth wall started to collapse. I could feel the heat on my back as I looked down at Sasuke seeing he was shocked by my actions.

"ART IS AN EXPLOSION!"

Those were the last words I heard before I started to fall unconsciousness. If this is how I was going to go, then so be it. My death has been overdo and soon I'll hopefully join Father.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Deidara is dead," Black Zetsu announced to the remaining Akatsuki members. "At least he went out with a bang."

"Looks like we lost another Akatsuki member," Kisame spoke up, "and I really thought he was one of the stronger ones. So who did it then? Was it Sasuke or the Nine tails Jinchuuriki?"

"It was Sasuke, however, it appears Sasuke has died as well...along with the snake brat."

"Hm the snake's daughter too? I was looking forward to seeing what Orochimaru had taught her. Seemed like she had some spunk when we first encountered her." Kisame said with a smirk.

"Hm she could've made a great addition to the Akatsuki and replace Deidara...what a shame. You should feel grateful Itachi, Deidara sacrificed his life to save you some trouble." The Akatsuki leader spoke.

"Hm it feels like we've forgotten about something," Kisame said.

"It seems Tobi got caught in the blast as well," White Zetsu said.

"So that's what I forgotten, poor Tobi, I began to like him."

"No matter, we can easily replace someone like Tobi but losing Deidara was unfortunate. I must go, let us mourn their death quietly." The Leader said before disappearing.

Edited: 2/21/2021