Squeak—
Konan pushed open the door.
"You're not going to stop them?"
Naruto, busy stirring a pot, smiled calmly. "No need. They're still outside the village gate, right?"
"The mission to protect Yugito in the Hidden Cloud failed. This is just compensation. If I stepped in, they'd never get the chance to prove themselves."
He didn't need to be there to know what was happening. His chakra extended beyond the gates, and the surrounding plants continuously reported the battle's progress.
"Sasori... he's a rare talent in puppetry. A perfect chance to show him—and the shinobi world—what we've been working on."
"Oh, and Konan, send word to the First and Second Hokage. Have them bring back Uchiha Madara. We'll need extra hands on the reconstruction team."
Suddenly, Naruto paused. His brow furrowed. Someone... was calling to him. Offering a sacrifice.
Konan nodded and glanced around. Satisfied no one else was nearby, she turned to Ajisai.
"Deliver a message to Lady Tsunade. I have something else to handle."
"Yes, Lady Konan!"
"Unit One—Tailed Beast Ball!"
Fwoosh—
Sasori's eyes widened in shock. He instantly threw the puppet of the Third Kazekage forward to intercept and vanished in a flicker.
BOOM!
A deafening explosion erupted, sending a mushroom cloud towering into the sky.
When the smoke cleared, the puppet of the Third Kazekage was gone—obliterated.
"This bastard…" Sasori stared at the wreckage, his pupils narrowing.
Behind him—silently and without warning—Unit One appeared.
"So this is your true speed?"
"In just one strike… you shattered the Third Kazekage's puppet."
"With this level of power, controlling human puppets is pointless."
"…This is a first."
Sasori slowly removed his Akatsuki cloak.
"How long has it been…"
Clang—
A sharp mechanical whirring echoed as Sasori rose atop the steel cable extending from his abdomen. His waist was now fitted with a rotating metal blade, four scrolls mounted across his back.
Most importantly, embedded in the chest of this puppet—his true body—was a "regeneration core" inscribed with the kanji for "Sasori."
This was his heart.
Truly, they were an art duo: one blew himself up for art, and the other gave up being human in its pursuit.
"Forget it," Sasori muttered. "I'll go on the offensive."
A barrel extended from his palm.
Kankuro narrowed his eyes. "Sasori-senpai's love for puppets knows no bounds… His talent is in a league of its own."
Boom—
Sasori unleashed a stream of fire from his palm.
But Kankuro merely shook his head.
This flame… didn't compare to Unit One's arsenal.
If he deployed Unit Two...
Under the scorching flames, Kankuro had Unit One slowly advance.
"Damn it!"
Seeing that his flames had no effect—and that his opponent was taunting him with every slow step forward—Sasori increased the firepower.
These flames could even melt kunai.
But on Unit One's body? Not even a scratch.
"Tch! Let's see how you handle this, metal freak!"
Click—
One of the scrolls on Sasori's back began to spin.
The flame-throwing palm shifted—turning into a high-pressure water cannon.
The jet blasted toward Unit One with terrifying force. The nozzle thinned until the stream became a cutting thread of water.
Kankuro calmly had Unit One raise its shield, layered with earth-style chakra.
Still nothing.
Sasori's eyes darkened. He pulled back the water jet, clenched his fists—and launched his trump card.
From his abdomen, a razor-sharp cable shot out like a bolt of lightning.
Fwoosh—
Too fast to see.
But Kankuro was ready.
Unit One teleported instantly—appearing in front of Sasori—and clamped its iron hand around his neck.
"If I had aimed for your core, Senior Sasori, you'd already be dead."
"The Akatsuki still exists. Lord Nagato remains its leader. He didn't surrender to Konoha—just like us in the Sand Village…"
But Sasori interrupted, voice cold.
"Art… is eternal. It should be preserved, passed on. That's real beauty."
"What you're saying doesn't last."
Kankuro sighed and withdrew Unit One to his side.
"Then let's settle this. Show me your final form."
"Nothing lasts forever—but new things will always replace the old."
Sasori was silent for a moment, then spoke in a low tone.
"If this final move can't destroy your puppet… I'll accept Konoha's 'art.' If it can…"
Flick—
The scrolls vanished from his back.
"Red Secret Technique: Performance of a Hundred Puppets."
Whoosh—
In an instant, a swarm of red-cloaked puppets filled the sky, hundreds of them.
"…This technique could level an entire country," Kankuro whispered, pupils shrinking.
"As expected… In the world of puppetry, you are unmatched."
Sasori's joints crackled and clicked. "Are you prepared?"
"Of course."
Unit One raised its arms. Its palms split open—revealing chakra cannons. Multi-barreled rotating turrets emerged from its shoulders.
Whoosh—
The red-clad puppets surged forward like a tidal wave.
Da-da-da-da—!
The slaughter began.
Unit One's eyes glowed red.
Chakra orbs launched like Rasengans—wind-infused and deadly—exploding on contact.
At the same time, the rotating guns unleashed a barrage of explosive pellets. Each bullet hit like a miniature detonating tag.
BOOM—BOOM—BOOM—
In mere moments, the red puppets were reduced to scrap—cut down like wheat in harvest.
Sasori could only stare in disbelief.
Hundreds of his finest puppets had been annihilated by Unit One's storm of fire.
Shattered limbs and broken torsos rained down.
He was silent.
"Senior… join us."
"Your art deserves a stage far greater than this."
Kankuro held up another scroll.
Bang—
Unit Two deployed.
Sasori quietly picked up his discarded Akatsuki cloak and put it back on.
He stepped forward.
"I need… an upgrade."
… "Why… why are you killing me?"
"Those who placed that burden on you… must be damned."
"Even in the end, they still want to destroy me!"
On the canvas, Ido bared her fangs with a twisted smile, yet her face remained identical to Kurama Yakumo's.
"Who… are you?" Yakumo asked, trembling.
"I was born from the gap deep inside your heart… I am called Selfless Consciousness."
As she spoke, Ido stepped out of the canvas.
Yakumo's self-portrait contorted grotesquely, growing two demonic horns.
Ido's body spasmed as if possessed, twisting and writhing like a reanimated corpse.
Smack!
Naruto slapped her straight out of the illusion space.
"Get a grip."
Yuhi Kurenai frowned. "So… she's finally awakened?"
"This ominous chakra," she murmured. "It's even stronger than before."
Naruto's eyes flicked toward Ido, who lay twitching on the floor.
He turned back to Yakumo and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"The best way to overcome fear… is to face it head-on."
"There's a beast inside everyone. A snarling, wild creature."
"But if you suppress it, tame it… you can make it your strength."
Kurenai stepped beside her, giving Yakumo a soft nod.
After a long internal struggle, Yakumo clenched her jaw, knelt down, and picked up a palette knife from the floor.
Slowly, she approached Ido.
"Why… I did everything for you…"
Ido was too weak to move. With closed eyes, Yakumo stabbed the knife into Ido's forehead.
It was over.
Yakumo's legs buckled beneath her, but before she could fall, Kurenai caught her in a gentle embrace.
"Well done, Yakumo," she whispered. "Now… the next step is to fix what's inside your body."
With those words, Naruto exited the illusion world.
Moments later, Kurenai and Yakumo returned to the real world. Yakumo remained lying in bed.
Naruto walked over and gently placed his palm against her forehead.
Warm chakra flowed through her body, gradually raising her temperature. Her consciousness grew drowsy… and she drifted into a peaceful sleep.
"She'll need a few days of rest. Let her body recover."
Naruto's voice was calm. "Turning illusions into reality… It's rare."
And as he administered nutrients, he quietly absorbed traces of her Kekkei Genkai.
Kurenai hugged Naruto's arm tightly.
Chu~
"Thank you, Naruto~"
Meanwhile…
In the newly rebuilt Konoha, chaos erupted once again.
Countless villagers and shinobi were fleeing in panic.
Looking up—what village was there to speak of anymore?
After all the rebuilding, all the sacrifices… someone had still come to destroy it again.
They had left behind only two people.
One to demand money.
The other… to kill.
Those who survived could only kneel amidst the rubble, hopeless.
Konoha… is gone again.
Some rushed toward the main gate—hoping for salvation.
This time, Konoha's twin gatekeepers didn't need orders.
They charged in on instinct.
Back in the ruins…
"Hidan!"
"Yeah, yeah!"
Whoosh—
The immortal duo leapt back simultaneously as dark shadows slithered beneath their feet, giving chase.
Clang! Clang!
Two kunai embedded in the ground, talismans stuck to their hilts.
"…Detonating tags?"
BOOM—BOOM!
Hidan was launched from the blast. Coughing in the smoke, he immediately looked toward his partner.
"Kakuzu!"
"I hardened my hands," Kakuzu replied dryly. "I'm fine."
"You, on the other hand, should be more worried about the shadows."
He really lived up to the name of "immortal duo." A true ride-or-die partnership.
"Tch! Just a bunch of brats!" Hidan snarled. "But they tore my cloak! I'll kill them!"
Whoosh—
"…Hm?"
Hinata appeared in a blur.
Hidan's grin widened, a mocking glint in his eyes. He reached behind his back and grabbed his triple-bladed scythe—the Bloody March Scythe.
"Looks like someone's eager to offer a sacrifice to Jashin-sama."
But when she struck—
He froze.
Her strikes were impossibly fast. Each palm strike targeted his tenketsu with surgical precision. Her Byakugan had already mapped every weak point.
If she hadn't aimed precisely… he'd have been torn to shreds.
She stopped. Hidan couldn't even scream in pain.
He tried to open his mouth… but nothing came out.
"Your body is unique," Hinata said coldly.
"Orochimaru told me you were the only one to survive the cult's forbidden experiments… the first true immortal."
She jabbed a point on his chest.
Hidan's face twisted as he gasped like a fish out of water.
"D-Don't… just—answer me one thing…"
Hinata narrowed her eyes, then slowly closed them.
Even if Hidan wanted to cheat his way out of this, he didn't have the strength left.
"…Why do I feel Jashin-sama's aura… on you?"
Hinata blinked.
Then turned to look back—at Tenten, Ajisai, and the others standing behind her.
Hidan followed her gaze—and his expression shifted from confusion to euphoria.
"You… all of you… have Jashin-sama's aura!"
"Hinata, release his points," Tenten said. "Let's explain."
"Mm."
Hinata tapped him a few more times.
Hidan crumpled to the ground… and then suddenly let out a sigh like someone who'd finally cleared constipation.
"Aaahhh… that's better…"
He looked up reverently. "My four angels… I get it now!"
"Jashin-sama must've sent you…!"
"…Wait, wait—this is a test, isn't it?!"
"Please tell Lord Jashin that I, Hidan, am his most loyal follower!"
He sprang to his feet, strength seemingly restored.
Just as the four girls were preparing to strike again, Hidan raised his scythe high—
And ran away at full speed.
"Kakuzu!!" he screamed. "Jashin-sama wants me to LEND YOU MY LIFE!!"
...
TN:
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