THEN THERE WERE BABIES

After a jutsu goes wrong, the Akatsuki are turned into babies and end up on Konoha's doorstep. They are soon handed of to the most mismatched pair of ninja in the village.

This fic might not get updated for a while but it will be. This is becausemy other fic take up alot of my time and so does school so it might take a while for regular updates.

Chapter 1

"Are you sure this is the right jutsu?"

"Y-yes. It is." the scared prisoner said. He was now a shell of his former self. They had kept him for several months now and he'd held out for as long as he could. There was only so much he could handle. They would suffer for this, all the pain and suffering they put him through for those few months. He knew they would.

Pain watched him with calculating eyes for a moment before turning his back to him. "You will stay where you are while we perform the jutsu. You will receive the due punishment if it so happens that this jutsu is the wrong one."

The prisoner remained silent with his eyes trained on the feet of the Akatsuki member.

Punishment? No more. He thought watching the man walk away from him and to the other members of Akatsuki. He would be free today. Freedom.

"Are we ready?" Pein asked the group.

"Tobi is ready!" the masked man said happily. There were a few grunts and a nod or two from the others. They were arranged in a circle at the centre of the room. They were all here this time, no illusions.

"Remind me again of the reason behind this." Sasori said turning his eyes onto Pein who looked back at him in kind. "Remind me why we all have to be present, why I can't stay in my other puppet and why that obnoxious thing is present."

"It is necessary for the jutsu to work. The actual physical chakra from the actual physical being is necessary. Being in the puppet will hinder it and Tobi is here because we need all the chakra possible." Pein replied barely containing his anger. Ever since Sasori came back after his 'death' some time before, the man had been increasingly pissy with Tobi, especially after learning that he had been his replacement. How Sasori had come back in the first place was still a mystery to them, he had just waltzed back into the base one day. He didn't seem too sure about it himself but that could be because he had no recollection of anything between capturing the Kazekage and waking up in a shallow grave somewhere near Suna with none of his puppets but his old body.

"We need to begin now. Not another word. This jutsu is to give us the extra boost to take Konoha down and even capture the Kyuubi." Pein said calmly. Surprisingly Hidan hadn't commented. There was no argument as they fell into the proper stance and held their hands in the first seal. "Begin."

The prisoner watched on in mounting anticipation as they went through the hand seals. If it worked he may live if it didn't he was definitely dead. It had to work, his life may very well depend on it. He felt as the chakra being out putted by the men rose and condensed causing him to bend from the pressure. As if he wasn't already on his knees he was forced down onto his face. With this much chakra it had to work then he would be free, hopefully.

The ten ninja were concentrated wholly and solely on the jutsu. They could already feel it pulling on their chakra. The jutsu was some powerful stuff. Finally it reached the peak and they began feeling the pull on their bodies. The prisoner's attention peaked as well this was the defining part of this whole thing. This was where he either lived or died.

Suddenly Zetsu was a puff of smoke and it continued like this around the circle in rather slow (for a ninja or a persons whose life hangs in the balance) succession.

"What the f-" Hidan began but was cut off when he too became a puff. When only Madara was left the puff that was Zatsu cleared to reveal a baby no older than ten months old asleep on the ground in a pile of Akatsuki robes. He had the same physical features as Zetsu. Madara was furious. They had been tricked. He wheeled to around to face the prisoner with his kunai.

The prisoner eyes closed as Madara raised the kunai to release his wrath upon him. He was going to die anyway. It had worked but he would still die.

There was a small pop and a clatter. The prisoner slowly opened his eyes to see that he wasn't dead. Where Madara had stood was now a pillar of smoke. The prisoner rose carefully into a sitting position, mindful of his own wounds. All the smoke had cleared to reveal little baby Akatsuki members in heaps of their own clothing. He was free. Free!

He gently pushed himself to his feet. They were out cold and would be for at least a few days. He couldn't manage much now but he had enough time. All he had to do was find where they kept their food. After eating he'd have a bath and look about himself so that he could leave as soon as possible.

XXXXX

Three days had passed and he was now faced with a problem. He had left the base on a few occasions to get fresh air and exercise and had realised that they were some where in the Fire Country. To think they chose to have their base in the middle of enemy territory. From what he gathered they were relatively near a small village and that Konoha wasnt too far off. If he walked he'd get there in little over a day. If he ran it'd be even quicker but he didn't have that type of strength yet. He was very much ready to leave this hellhole of a base and get back to civilisation but then there was his problem. He didn't know what to do with the Akatsuki. Granted they were still passed out, he couldn't leave a bunch of babies alone in a cave thing even though they weren't really babies and they had done a lot of bad things to him. The point was they were babies now. Most of them didn't even seem to be a year old yet. Whatever he planned had to be done soon because from what he estimated he only had a day or two left before they woke up. That was bound to be hell.

Only one thing to do: get rid of them. He'd get rid of them humanely. Give them up for adoption but they had things to atone for so there was really only one thing to do.

He stared at the trolley before him. It was big enough and had a strong looking donkey. It would do. He paid the man with the money he had taken from the Akatsuki treasury and lead the donkey away. It was going to be a long trip.

XXXXX

Tsunade walked purposefully towards the gates. Two ANBU flanked her on both sides. Two minutes ago a cloaked figure without identification had come to the gates asking to speak to her. Naturally the guards told him doing so would be impossible. The unidentified figure then told them it was important and had to do with the Akatsuki. That of course sent off warning bells and Tsunade was alerted along with the necessary ANBU and Ibiki. She stepped up to the gates to see Ibiki and two other ANBU standing near a cloaked figure sitting on a trolley. The person looked up as she approached and she saw a hollow looking man on his way to recovery. A very slow recovery.

"Hokage-sama." the man stated with a weary smile. "Forgive me for not standing. It's been a long trip and I'm not in my best shape."

"Alright." she said and motioned for him to speak. He remained silent pointedly looking at the ground.

"I need only speak to the Hokage." he finally said. The ninja tensed. Tsunade took in this mysterious man. His body spoke of tiredness and some levels of malnutrition. He didn't have much chakra either and he wasn't trying to hide it. If anything happened he'd be dead before he even took a step and that was if he could take a step. She didn't mind being left alone with the man, they wouldn't be going far anyway.

"Ibiki stays." she compromised. He shrugged and she quickly sent the ANBU away. She then got right to the point. "What do you have on Akatsuki?"

"It's not so much what I have on Akatsuki but that I have the Akatsuki." the man stated and all ninja present tensed. Tsunade raised a brow at him.

"You have brought them here?" Ibiki asked watching for any signs of weakness.

"Before you jump to conclusions listen to me." he said and Tsunade nodded for him to continued. Her distrust was evident but she would listen. Ibiki would watch. "Many months ago I was captured while on a short mission. They were the ones who took me. Since then I have suffered all manner of torture for a bit of information that would mean much to them and to you. It was a jutsu but it was a very deeply forbidden jutsu made to expand chakra reserves and other complex things that I will not explain because I will not tell you anymore about that jutsu. It was meant to be the demise of you. A week and a half ago I decided to give in. I taught them a jutsu. It was also a forbidden jutsu but it had a different effect. Of course I knew this but I needed to escape. Approximately four days ago, I'm not exactly sure, they performed the jutsu. In short it worked and now they're babies."

There was silence.

"You were believable until your last sentence."

"I have proof." the man ignored the statement.

"What kind of proof?"

"The jutsu cost them much and as such they have been passed out for the past few days. I doubt that's healthy for babies but there is not much I can do. They are in the trolley." he answered slowly reaching back to pull the blanket covering the bottom of the trolley off. Tsunade and Ibiki walked over to see ten little figures curled. "I've feed them the best I could while they're like this."

"Why did you bring them here?" Tsunade asked reaching out to check the one closest to her who happened to be Sasori and he was running a slight fever. 'Wasn't he dead? Wasn't he a puppet?"

"To get rid of them. I don't want them." he answered watching as Tsunade checked the others.

"But why here?" Ibiki asked.

"You're the ones they wanted to wipe out. You're the ones they've targeted. You can now decide what you want to do to them." he told them. "Are you taking them or not?"

Ibiki looked at Tsunade who was still checking the babies.

"Ibiki." she called as she lifted the two oddest coloured babies out of the trolley. He went to her and was shocked when she pushed them into his arms.

"Hokage-sama?" he questioned as she fussed with the cloths wrapped around the two babies to hide their heads.

"Take them to my office. Do not be seen." she ordered. He stared at her as if she was crazy before doing as he was told. She called out for the ANBU and they were by her side instantly. She pointed to the trolley. "Take them to my office."

They didn't argue but it was obvious that they were curious of the babies. When they were gone, Tsunade returned her attention to the man. He looked more relaxed as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

"Keep in mind that the jutsu made them in babies there is no guarantee that they will remember their lives." he said and she nodded. "One more thing, I do have information."

"Actual information?" she asked wearily. She'd have to admit that she had no idea what she'd do if he suddenly sprung baby Orochimaru on her. That would be a story for ages. She was surprised to hear the laugh that left the man.

"Yes, actual information." he said and pulled a worn book from inside his cloak. "Their finance records. There's also a map in there to their base and a map of the base."

"Thank you?" Tsunade commented accepting the book.

"No, thank you. I really hate them but they're babies. I can't hurt them like this." he said getting up to lead the donkey away. "Good luck."

Tsunade watched as he walked away slightly bent. She swore she heard him mumble "Retirement better be good."