Once again, Obito disappeared using Kamui, leaving without a trace. Deidara didn't attempt to attack him—firstly, because Kamui's single activation could last up to five minutes, and secondly, because Obito could also use Izanagi, making it nearly impossible to deal with him.
Instead of immediately rescuing Kakuzu and Hidan, Deidara contacted Nagato through his Akatsuki ring.
"Leader, the one who acted this time was none other than that Uchiha Madara," Deidara reported succinctly, explaining his observations and deductions.
He concluded with a warning: "Leader, you and Konan need to be extremely cautious from now on. Don't let him or Zetsu ambush you."
After all, as long as the Rinnegan couldn't be reclaimed, Obito and his faction were at a disadvantage.
"I understand," Nagato replied briefly.
"Hey! Deidara, what the hell are you doing?"
"Hurry up and get us out of here!" Hidan's impatient voice echoed through the prison.
Seeing the pitiful state of the so-called Immortal Duo, Deidara couldn't help but chuckle mischievously. "Oh my, isn't this Kakuzu and Hidan? How did you end up like this?"
"Damn it, Deidara!"
"I only ended up like this because my heart was destroyed during the last fight in Konoha, and I couldn't find a suitable replacement in time. That's the only reason I was caught off guard!" Kakuzu retorted angrily.
"Hmph!" Hidan snorted coldly.
"It's all because those Iwagakure bastards played dirty! They sent over a hundred elite ninjas against us, all of them top-tier fighters!"
"Alright, let's go," Deidara said, deciding not to provoke them further. Hidan might not care, but Kakuzu was already old—there was no need to push him too far.
"By the way, who was that mysterious person earlier?"
"Why was he wearing our organization's cloak, and why did he have the Sharingan?"
"Wasn't the Uchiha clan wiped out by Itachi?" Hidan, ever the chatterbox, bombarded Deidara with questions.
Since both of them had already encountered Obito, Deidara decided to share some relevant information. "That mysterious person is actually the leader's collaborator. He played a role in the founding of Akatsuki back in the day."
"As for his identity, he claims to be Uchiha Madara."
"Uchiha Madara?" Kakuzu exclaimed, unable to hide his shock.
"What's the big deal? Is this Madara guy really that scary?" Hidan asked curiously, his ignorance on full display.
Kakuzu recalled the domineering and arrogant man from the past. While Hashirama Senju was equally powerful, his kind nature made him less fearsome. Madara, on the other hand, was entirely different. During his time, he had a penchant for bullying the Tailed Beasts, and Takigakure, home to the Seven-Tails, had suffered greatly under his visits. Kakuzu's impression of Madara was deeply ingrained.
"He was a figure on par with the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju—extremely powerful and dangerous. So, the current one is most likely an impostor. If he were truly Uchiha Madara, he wouldn't need to resort to such petty tactics," Deidara explained.
Kakuzu nodded in agreement. "Indeed."
"But if he's a collaborator, why are things like this happening now? Is it a disagreement with the leader?"
"A clash of ideologies? Or a power struggle?"
Kakuzu, with his wealth of experience, quickly deduced the situation. It was just like a corporate power struggle between the major and minor shareholders—a tale as old as time.
"Maybe it's a bit of both," Deidara replied vaguely, not wanting to reveal how much he truly knew. He could only offer a speculative answer based on the available information.
"In any case, he's tried to recruit me and Sasori before. Itachi and Kisame were also approached by him."
"So, be careful if you encounter him in the future."
Hidan, who had been silent for a while, suddenly noticed a glaring omission. "Then why didn't he try to recruit me and Kakuzu?"
Deidara scratched his head, trying to avoid offending them. "What do you think?"
"Damn it!"
Kakuzu's frustration reached its peak. "Does he really look down on me that much?"
"What do I think?"
"Deidara, I'm asking you!"
"Why are you answering my question with another question? That's so rude!" As expected, Hidan's limited intellect couldn't grasp the implication.
"I don't know," Deidara shrugged, unwilling to continue the conversation.
"That's not true!"
"You clearly know something!" Hidan pressed on, refusing to let it go.
Boom!
Poor Hidan was sent flying into the wall by a swift kick from Kakuzu. As he got up, he complained, "Kakuzu, that hurt!"
"Why did you kick me?"
"Sorry, Hidan."
"Are you getting senile in your old age?"
...
Outside Iwagakure, an intense battle had raged on for over an hour—a ridiculously long time for a ninja fight.
On the Iwagakure side, Akatsuchi was completely incapacitated, and Kitsuchi wasn't much better, gasping for breath and looking utterly disheveled. Only Onoki remained unscathed, floating in the air. However, his expression was grim.
Clearly, Kisame Hoshigaki's combat prowess had far exceeded his expectations.
Kisame had already merged with Samehada, transforming into a half-man, half-shark creature. Despite the prolonged battle, he still seemed full of energy.
"Tsuchikage-sama, if you don't use Dust Release, you won't be able to defeat me!"
"Stop this pointless fight!"
"I acknowledge the strength of your Akatsuki organization!"
"Let that troublesome disciple of mine come up and speak," Onoki said.
What did it mean to be cunning and shrewd? Onoki's actions spoke volumes. He had accepted Obito's provocations but refused to follow Obito's plans, choosing instead to capture Kakuzu and Hidan alive.
Initially, Onoki's goal was simply to bring Deidara back to Iwagakure. Given Deidara's current accomplishments and reputation, he was undoubtedly a strong Kage-level ninja. If he returned to the village and developed further for a few more years, he could potentially become the next Tsuchikage, ensuring Iwagakure's stability for decades.
But now, Onoki was reconsidering.
Whether it was Kakuzu and Hidan, whom they had captured, or Kisame and Deidara, none of them were easy opponents. And the leader of an organization capable of bringing together such individuals was certainly no ordinary person.
Onoki had no intention of being the first to take the plunge and risk everything for someone else's cause.
From today onward, the matter of Akatsuki was someone else's problem. If, in the end, Akatsuki's true strength turned out to be underwhelming, there would still be time to act.
If they were truly formidable, then with Deidara as a bridge, cooperation could lead to mutual benefits!
After all, the most fertile and prosperous land in the ninja world belonged to the Land of Fire. Let Akatsuki and Konoha fight it out like dogs, and then swoop in to reap the rewards—how delightful would that be?
"Old man, you called for me?" Deidara emerged from the direction of Iwagakure, accompanied by Kakuzu and Hidan.
A vein bulged on Onoki's forehead. "So you sneaked into the village to rescue them!"
"No wonder you left your companion to deal with us for so long!"
"If this were the past, you'd have already thrown your so-called 'art' in my face."
"Old geezer, I've told you a thousand times—it's called art! ART!" Deidara retorted angrily.
"Hmph!"
"Forget your crude art for now. Tell me about Akatsuki," Onoki said as he flew toward the rear. Deidara quickly followed.
"Kisame, Kakuzu, Hidan, wait here for a moment."
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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