At this moment, only a trace of reason remained in Naruto's eyes. The rest was overtaken by the hatred and rage of the Nine-Tails.
Kakashi's face was grim. "So this is what Jiraiya-sama meant by the Nine-Tails' influence…"
In the shadows of a nearby cliff, Deidara watched the rampaging Naruto with a flicker of awe in his eyes. "So this is the power of the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki… It's far stronger than One-Tail Shukaku!"
Whoosh!
Kakashi quickly retrieved the seal tag Jiraiya had given him. Bold characters were written across it—it was a seal prepared specifically for Naruto. When the Nine-Tails' chakra overwhelmed him, this seal could temporarily suppress it.
With swift precision, Kakashi pressed the tag onto Naruto's back. Instantly, the demonic chakra dissipated, vanishing like mist. Naruto collapsed to the ground, his appearance returning to that of a normal boy.
"Huff… Huff… Ka—Kakashi-sensei! What happened to me?" Naruto gasped, confused and disoriented.
"It's alright. The Nine-Tails took over your mind, but I've suppressed it," Kakashi replied calmly.
Naruto blinked, then suddenly shouted, "Wait—where is that guy?!"
His memories rushed back, and his fury reignited. He began frantically scanning the surroundings for Deidara.
"Kakashi! Naruto! Are you okay?" Guy suddenly appeared with his squad at his side.
"We're fine, Guy-sensei," Naruto said, though his voice wavered. "But… Gaara's dead."
The pain in Naruto's eyes was clear. Gaara was just like him, someone burdened by a tailed beast, someone who understood his pain—someone he had come to call a true friend. Losing him stung deeply.
"Neji!" Naruto snapped back to attention, clenching his fists. "Use your Byakugan! That bastard's not getting away—not after what he did to Gaara!"
"Understood," Neji replied, his tone calm as ever. He activated his Byakugan, the veins bulging at the corners of his eyes. "Byakugan!"
He turned his head, scanning the area swiftly.
"Tch! The Hyuga are involved too?" Deidara cursed under his breath from his hiding spot. He was crouched behind a ridge, out of direct sight.
"There!" Neji called out, pointing to Deidara's direction.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Without hesitation, Guy and the rest used Body Flicker Technique. In a flash, they surrounded Deidara, draining the area of any escape routes.
Deidara's expression turned wild with frustration. "Tch! You really managed to corner me!"
Reaching into his ninja pouch, he pulled out a handful of clay and stuffed it into his mouth, chewing with terrifying speed.
The moment he swallowed, his body began to swell grotesquely. Laughing maniacally, he cried out, "Let me show you true art! Art is… an explosion!"
Raising his fingers in a dramatic pose, he prepared to detonate.
"Everyone get back! He's going to self-destruct!" Neji shouted urgently.
The squad reacted instantly, retreating in a blur of motion.
BOOM!
A massive explosion erupted. The shockwave thundered across the battlefield, flattening trees and hurling dust high into the air. The blast radius stretched nearly a kilometer.
"Suicidal maniac," Kakashi muttered.
Naruto clenched his jaw. "He's dead… Let's go meet up with Sakura-chan," he said, now carrying Gaara's lifeless body.
The others nodded silently, but Kakashi collapsed onto one knee.
Guy rushed to his side and caught him. "Kakashi! You alright?"
"I'm fine… Just overused the Sharingan…" Kakashi responded weakly.
Guy grinned and hoisted him over his shoulder effortlessly. "Then leave it to me!"
With that, the team departed quickly, heading toward Sakura's location.
Once the group vanished, the area where Deidara had exploded began to ripple strangely, like liquid mercury. A golden braid slowly emerged from beneath the earth.
"Finally, they're gone… This mission was a nightmare," Deidara muttered, climbing out of the ground. He was battered, his arm missing. "Tch. Gotta find a new arm now…"
But just as he turned to leave, a cold sensation crawled down his spine. His instincts screamed at him—he was being watched.
His body froze, as though time itself had halted.
"Yo. Not bad, your awareness is sharp," a calm voice spoke from behind.
Deidara's eyes widened. He turned slowly to face the figure.
Standing there was a young man with raven-black hair, calm eyes, and an air of terrifying composure.
"Who… Who are you? I don't remember Konoha sending anyone like you…" Deidara's voice trembled involuntarily.
Something was wrong.
The man's chakra… it wasn't just powerful. It was unfathomable, bottomless. Even Naruto in Nine-Tails mode didn't feel this threatening.
The chakra's weight pressed against him like a mountain. It crushed his breath, squeezed his chest. Not even Third Tsuchikage Ōnoki had exuded this level of power.
Only one other came close—Pain, their leader.
Who is this guy?!
"Konoha must have a monster hidden in the shadows…" Deidara thought, sweat dripping down his neck.
"I'm not part of the Konoha reinforcements," the stranger said with a casual smile. "I just happened to be near the Land of Wind on my way back to the village. I saw Kakashi and Naruto, so I followed."
This was Ayanami Kaito.
After leaving the ruins of the Ancient Kingdom of Rōran, Kaito had been on his way back to Konoha. Along the journey, he spotted Naruto and Kakashi battling. Recognizing the scenario, he quickly realized something: the events of Shippuden had officially begun.
Knowing the story well, he remembered that Deidara's explosion was a diversion. The real Deidara used Earth Release to escape underground. Once Naruto and the others were gone, the clone would vanish, and the original would resurface.
That moment had come.
Kaito sighed. He knew this was when he had to step in.
What surprised him, however, was Deidara's keen awareness. The instant Kaito appeared behind him, Deidara noticed. That alone was impressive.
"So you're just… passing by," Deidara muttered with a pained grin. "And you decided to help out. Wonderful…"
"Exactly," Kaito replied with a light nod.
Deidara's grin suddenly twisted. "Then die! You think I'll just surrender?!"
Clay ants had silently appeared in Deidara's hand. With a sudden motion, he hurled them at Kaito, laughing madly—
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Milestones
100 Power stones = 1 Bonus Chapter
200 Power stones = 3 Bonus Chapters
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