Kakashi's gaze never left the masked man. His Sharingan spun, calculating. The enemy's strange ability had unsettled him — a body that turned intangible when attacked, but reappeared when striking. The suspicion gnawed at his chest, a possibility too painful to name. To confirm it, he would need to push further.
Naruto, watching from a distance, allowed a faint, knowing smile to curl across his lips. One of his aims was already accomplished: planting the seed of doubt in Kakashi's mind about Uchiha Obito.
"What are you grinning at, you bastard?" Deidara snapped, fury flaring. His clay bird swooped low, wings beating. The whole fight, the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki hadn't taken him seriously. Not even once. The insult burned in his chest.
Naruto waved lazily, almost taunting.
"You're underestimating me…?" Deidara's teeth ground together. "Unforgivable! I'll make you pay for that!"
He prepared his clay, but then paused as Naruto suddenly lifted his hand, signaling him to stop.
"What's this? Throwing in the towel already?" Deidara demanded, confusion flickering behind his scowl.
Naruto's eyes sharpened. "No. We're taking this fight somewhere else. If you get desperate and use that self-destruction technique of yours, you'll wipe out everything for miles. I'm not letting you drag everyone else down with you."
The casual certainty in Naruto's words made Deidara's face twitch. How did he know? Very few understood the true scale of his ultimate art — a self-detonation that could obliterate a vast radius.
Naruto's reasoning was clear. He wasn't worried for himself, but Hinata, Sakura, and the others fighting nearby were still within reach of Deidara's explosion. It wasn't a risk worth taking.
"Tch… damn brat." Deidara clicked his tongue, unease pricking him. The jinchūriki knew too much. Still, pride refused to let him back down. "Fine. If it's another place you want, then I'll follow you to the end. But don't think I'll go easy!"
Naruto grinned, leaping away across the treetops. "Good. You're not half bad yourself, Deidara. A real talent."
"Don't mock me! You'll be nothing but ash when I'm done!" Deidara barked, guiding his bird to chase after him, vanishing into the distance.
Their departure did nothing to lighten the tension where Kakashi and Kiba faced the masked man. If anything, the danger loomed larger.
Kakashi's thoughts were sharp, precise. If not for the Mangekyō, I'd have no chance of dealing with him…
The masked man's body stirred, his cloak torn where Kakashi and Kiba had struck moments before. His abdomen wound was already knitting together, pale flesh twisting unnaturally. The cells pulsing there — a grotesque mix of Uchiha and Hashirama's power — accelerated his recovery.
Kiba leaned toward Kakashi, voice low but urgent. "Kakashi-sensei, what do we do now? He doesn't stay down."
Kakashi didn't take his eye off their foe. "I'll press him head-on. You and Akamaru support me. Watch for openings."
"Got it," Kiba replied, forcing calm into his voice.
Not far away, the sealing team strained against another crisis. The Four-Corner Sealing Barrier that held the Three-Tails trembled violently. The beast's chakra surged with raw, terrifying power.
"Ino, hold it together!" Shizune urged, sweat streaming down her face as she kept her palms fixed to the formation.
"I… I can't—!" Ino cried out. The backlash of the tailed beast's chakra slammed into her, hurling her back.
"Ino!" Sakura's focus shattered, and the surge of unstable chakra ripped through the barrier.
Hinata staggered, eyes wide with strain. "The formation—!"
The sealing team was thrown from their positions, one after another, crashing into the ground with pained cries.
Yamato's face paled as the lake erupted in violent waves. "The seal is broken… the Three-Tails is free!"
"Captain Yamato, what do we do?" Sai called out, already sketching for defense.
"Protect yourselves first," Yamato ordered, though the frustration in his voice was heavy. His wood release wasn't enough to hold down a fully released tailed beast.
Meanwhile, deeper by the lake, Guren staggered, blood at her lips. She had managed to drive Kabuto back, but her focus was elsewhere — Yukimaru. The boy's frail body pulsed with unstable chakra, bursts threatening to tear him apart.
"If this continues, he'll die," Guren whispered, chest tight. The thought was unbearable. Injuries she could accept, but not his death. Never his death.
Kabuto chuckled darkly, wiping his mouth. "So that's your choice? To betray Orochimaru-sama for a child?"
Guren's glare cut sharply. "Whether I've betrayed him or not isn't for you to say. Only Lord Orochimaru decides that. As for you, Kabuto — stay out of my way."
Kabuto adjusted his glasses, then smirked. "Hmph. Do as you please. The experiment's over." He turned, retreating into the forest.
Guren gathered Yukimaru's trembling form into her arms. His eyes fluttered, weak and fevered.
"Don't worry," she whispered fiercely. "I won't let you die. No matter what, I'll save you." She hoisted him onto her back and carried him away, determined to find help.
Back at the lakeside, the waters slowly stilled. The sealing team — Shizune, Sakura, Hinata, and Ino — lay scattered, exhausted beyond measure.
Shizune pushed herself up on trembling arms. Her voice was weary, but steady. "We… failed to hold the Three-Tails."
Hinata lowered her head, guilt heavy in her chest. "I'm sorry. Even though we tried our hardest, it wasn't enough."
Ino bit her lip, shame burning. "It's my fault. Because of me, the seal collapsed—"
Shizune cut her off firmly. "No. This isn't your fault, Ino. None of us were prepared for just how overwhelming the Three-Tails' chakra would be."
Sakura added, voice soft but resolute, "She's right. Don't blame yourself. We all share this responsibility."
Hinata nodded in agreement, her pale eyes sincere.
Yamato approached, expression grave. "Everyone, recover your strength. The Three-Tails has escaped. Finding it again will take planning — not reckless pursuit."
The others exchanged tired glances, but they nodded. For now, there was no choice but to regroup.
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