"Is it really feasible to seal two Tailed Beasts at once?"
Before Deva Path Pain could respond to Yomi's suggestion, Konan voiced her concern.
"That's right..." Deidara complained, his holographic form flickering. "It takes days just to extract one. Doing two in a row? Do you want us to die from exhaustion, hmm?"
Yomi, serving as Sato's avatar within the Akatsuki, responded indifferently. "Whether you care or not is irrelevant. If the Two-Tails Jinchūriki dies of starvation or other complications while we wait, that's not my responsibility."
Pain remained silent for a moment before turning to Zetsu. "Zetsu, what is the situation in Sunagakure?"
"Sunagakure has already requested aid from their ally, Konoha," Black Zetsu replied in his raspy voice. "The Team 7 led by Kakashi, which includes the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, has arrived in Suna. They are organizing a rescue mission as we speak."
As if anticipating Pain's hesitation, Black Zetsu added, "By the time they find us, the One-Tail will likely be sealed. But if an external force interrupts us, sealing two beasts simultaneously might be impossible."
Surprisingly, Black Zetsu—usually the most cautious regarding the sealing process—agreed with Yomi's proposal. If the Two-Tails Jinchūriki died accidentally before extraction, the beast would vanish and they would have to wait years for it to respawn. They could afford to wait, but Nagato's physical condition was deteriorating. Furthermore, Zetsu was wary of Yomi and "Uchiha Madara" (Obito); delaying the plan gave these unpredictable elements more time to plot against the Rinnegan.
"To avoid complications, it is best to revive the Ten-Tails as quickly as possible," Zetsu concluded. "If we seal both at once, Yomi can use his Flying Thunder God Technique and Impure World Reincarnation to delay the pursuers until the ritual is complete."
"Oh? You know about my abilities quite well," Yomi teased, though his eyes remained cold. He nodded to Pain. "I have a Flying Thunder God marker placed in the Land of Rivers. I can transport the Two-Tails Jinchūriki there immediately. And I will use the Impure World Reincarnation to stop the Konoha ninja."
"Since that is the case, everyone will have to put in more effort," Pain announced, making the final decision. "After the One-Tail and Two-Tails are sealed, Deidara and Sasori can rest while I handle the capture of the Three-Tails."
"...That's more like it," Deidara muttered, swallowing his complaints.
With the decision made, Yomi's clone used the Flying Thunder God Technique, teleporting outside the hideout with the unconscious Two-Tails Jinchūriki, Yugito Nii. A White Zetsu clone emerged from the ground to carry her body into the cave, bypassing the Five-Seal Barrier.
Thus, the grueling double sealing ritual officially began.
Meanwhile, news of Kankuro's recovery and Team 7's departure to rescue Gaara reached the Akatsuki through Zetsu's surveillance.
Pain's rippled eyes turned to Yomi.
"Don't worry," Yomi said with a wicked smile. "My clone has already arranged a welcoming party for them. Leave that old woman, Chiyo, to me. I have something special for her."
"Fine," Sasori spoke up from within his puppet armor, Hiruko. "Just don't kill her. I want to hear her last words."
Yomi nodded, and his consciousness shifted fully to the clone waiting outside the cave. Underneath his bandages, a meaningful grin spread across his face before he vanished in a flash of teleportation.
In a dense forest clearing a few miles from the Akatsuki hideout, Team 7 and Chiyo were moving fast.
"Kakashi, there is a very dangerous chakra ahead. The target may be you," Pakkun, the pug summoned by Kakashi to track the scent, suddenly warned.
Kakashi's visible eye narrowed. "The enemy is likely a member of the Akatsuki. Everyone, be careful and ready to fight at any moment."
Naruto, Sakura, and Chiyo tensed up. Bursting out of the forest into a rocky plain, they skidded to a halt.
Standing in their path was Yomi's clone.
"How can it be?!" Chiyo, a veteran of countless battles, gasped in disbelief.
Kakashi's eyes widened in horror as he recognized the technique being prepared. Yomi slammed his hands onto the ground.
"Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Three wooden coffins rose ominously from the earth, their heavy lids crashing down to reveal the figures within.
"Third Kazekage... so you really are dead!" Chiyo stared at the figure on the far left with a complicated expression. It was the strongest Kazekage in Suna's history, whose disappearance had sparked the Third Great Ninja War.
"The Third Raikage... and... Sensei?!"
Kakashi stared at the figure on the far right, his breath hitching in his throat. The man had spiky blonde hair and wore a white haori emblazoned with the words "Fourth Hokage." It was Minato Namikaze, his teacher and Naruto's father.
"Did father and son have to meet this way?"
Back in the cave, the Akatsuki members were also watching the battle through Zetsu's projection.
Black Zetsu could not suppress his shock. He stared at Yomi's main body. "If my intelligence is correct, the Fourth Hokage's soul was sealed by the Dead Demon Consuming Seal (Reaper Death Seal). It should be in the Shinigami's stomach. Yomi, how did you summon him with Impure World Reincarnation?"
The other members turned to Yomi, intrigued. Breaking the Reaper Death Seal was considered impossible.
"It's very simple," Yomi replied casually, enjoying their astonishment. "Every technique has a flaw, even the sealing jutsus of the Uzumaki clan. If you find the Uzumaki Clan's Mask Shrine and use the Shinigami Mask, you can possess the Reaper, slice open its stomach, and release the souls trapped within."
"I didn't just release Minato Namikaze," Yomi added. "I also released the First and Second Hokage, though I haven't summoned them today."
"You bastard... your intelligence network is truly terrifying," Zetsu hissed.
Yomi smiled playfully. "However, I didn't summon Minato just to fight."
Sato, controlling Yomi, had a specific "flash of inspiration." Since Minato was now released, Sato planned to extract the Yin-Half of the Nine-Tails sealed inside Minato's soul.
If he could extract the Yin Chakra and seal it back into Naruto, the Nine-Tails would be complete. A complete Nine-Tails meant a more powerful Ten-Tails later—and for Sato's "Devouring" growth, a higher quality target was always better.
"At that time," Sato thought, "Minato will be worthless, and I won't have to worry about his soul breaking free."