Zetsu's eyes widened. Baki's mouth hung open, unable to close.
So this was what a battle between true masters looked like.
Each clash of Shigeo and Itachi generated its own wind. Speed and force blurred together, shockwaves of chakra radiating from every impact.
"You're holding back," said Itachi coolly.
"You too—you're only using thirty percent of your chakra," Shigeo answered.
The next moment they were entangled again—hands locking, legs colliding, kunai clashing with metallic chimes and bursting sparks.
Then Itachi felt a sting in his shoulder. He looked down. The twig Shigeo had held was gone—replaced by a syringe buried in his flesh.
"You fool. You think that's my real body?"
He'd been suspicious the moment Shigeo proposed a taijutsu match. Now he knew why—the kid had been waiting for this.
Watching from the trees, Zetsu froze. It's over. Itachi's been poisoned!
But in the next breath, Itachi's figure blurred and collapsed into a corpse—the Shōten no Jutsu (Body Double Technique) again.
Shigeo blinked. "Seriously? Leaving already?"
Their cryptic exchange left everyone else baffled.
Itachi, of course, trusted Shigeo. He knew what had been injected wasn't poison but the Repair Serum Shigeo had once given him—the same one now expired and forgotten in his scroll.
Since Itachi wouldn't use it himself, Shigeo had taken the liberty of "helping" him—by force.
But he'd overlooked one detail: this wasn't Itachi's real body. Injecting a corpse did nothing.
Meanwhile, the real Itachi saw no reason to continue.
Akatsuki's extraction of the One-Tail was already complete. Even if the Sand team broke in now, Gaara couldn't be saved.
Better to leave before drawing suspicion.
He didn't realize Obito and Zetsu already knew of his connection to Shigeo—they simply still needed him alive.
At the canyon floor, the five surviving Sand ninja gathered before the cave's sealed entrance.
A massive boulder blocked the way, covered in glowing talisman seals. A chill crept through the air.
"Grandma, what are we waiting for?" Temari asked, tense and impatient. "Shouldn't we be charging in to rescue Gaara? We're already here!"
Chiyo stayed silent. She knew too well what it meant that Gaara had been captured.
Sunagakure had once produced three functional Jinchūriki, and she had witnessed several extractions and rampages herself.
If the enemy had taken Gaara, it could only be for his Tailed Beast.
And after three days… it was almost certainly too late.
Sasori… my grandson…
The image of his boyish face flashed before her eyes. Chiyo's fingers clenched tight.
No matter what, she would give the village an answer.
"What's inside?" she asked the sensor-type ninja.
He closed his eyes and focused. "It's… huge. And I sense nine people inside."
Up on the cliff, Shigeo's eyes narrowed. Nine? The Akatsuki are still here?
"Then we go in now!" Temari said sharply. Her brother was inside. She leapt back, swung her fan, and unleashed a Fūton (Wind Release) gust that hammered the stone gate—
—but the boulder didn't even tremble.
Baki caught her arm. "Don't be reckless. There's a barrier."
Inside, the Akatsuki members were finishing their work.
Hearing the impact, Pain asked flatly, "The one who uses Mokuton, correct?"
"No. The remaining five from Sunagakure," came the reply.
Pain turned toward Gaara's lifeless body, then to Sasori and Deidara. Of all nine, only those two were physically present.
"You two stay behind. If you can bring that Wood Release shinobi under Akatsuki's banner, you'll be greatly rewarded. The rest, withdraw."
Sasori chuckled darkly. He glanced at Kisame and Itachi's fading projections. "Seems we've found ourselves a new recruit."
Kisame grimaced. Even at thirty percent chakra, a loss was a loss.
"Then prove you can take him," he growled.
Itachi's low voice followed. "Don't throw your lives away just to recruit someone. That would be the real joke."
Their images shimmered and vanished—returning to their real bodies.
Inside the cave, only Deidara and Sasori remained.
The Gedō Mazō (Demonic Statue of the Outer Path) faded, leaving behind Gaara's corpse and a cavern as quiet as any ordinary cave.
Outside, Chiyo studied the talisman marks. "It's the Gofū Kekkai (Five-Seal Barrier). Five seals placed in different locations. Only removing all five simultaneously will break the barrier. And remember—simultaneously."
The others exchanged glances and nodded.
Baki produced wireless headsets, handing one to each member. "Use these. We'll coordinate and pull the seals on my signal."
The four split off to find the remaining seals.
From above, Shigeo called down, voice flat. "Not smart. Leaving one old lady alone at the entrance? You're practically inviting the enemy to exploit that gap. Remember—they're Akatsuki."
He couldn't believe their tactical sense. This is Sunagakure's brain trust?
"This is Sand business, not yours," Baki snapped, preparing to leave.
Shigeo chuckled coldly. "Fine. I don't care about Sand's problems. But you're leaving an old woman to guard the gate alone? What's your plan—hope she dies buying time? If you're that confident, why don't you stay?"
"No need. I can handle it," Chiyo began, but before she finished, Shigeo dropped into the canyon, seized her wrist, and pulled her aside.
"I know you're anxious to see your grandson," he said calmly, "but some people talk big and do nothing. Best to let those self-important types guard the crucial spot. That way, the world can see how 'indispensable' they really are."
Chiyo blinked, then smiled faintly despite herself.
Baki's jaw tightened; the meaning was clear—and it stung.
(End of Chapter)
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