Noticing Anya had no intention of entering the cave, Obito took the initiative to speak. "It seems you've accepted my cooperation proposal."
"Cooperation?" A mocking expression briefly flashed across Anya's face as she spoke disdainfully, "I don't plan on cooperating with a dead man. From the moment you mentioned Hakuto's name, you've been added to my kill list."
Obito didn't get angry upon hearing this, replying calmly, "Many people in this world want to kill me, yet none have ever succeeded."
"You're confident, good," said Anya emotionlessly. "Your goal is to tear down the current order while I aim to reshape the ninja world. There's one thing you got right—our short-term objectives are aligned. Rather than calling it cooperation, we could consider it a peace agreement."
Nodding in satisfaction, Obito said, "Peace? Fair enough. From today on, neither of us will intervene—we'll simply observe how this battle plays out."
Anya agreed, "Fine."
Inside the cave, the other Akatsuki members who'd completed the Seal had already vanished into phantoms, leaving only Deidara and Sasori to face the five intruders.
Naruto looked around, not seeing anyone else, and angrily asked, "Where's Gaara?"
"Who's Gaara?" Deidara was about to ask when Sasori cut in first. "The One-Tail Jinchuriki? The tailed beast has already been sealed. Do you think he still needs to exist?"
Smirking, Deidara continued, "Just another container for a tailed beast—dead or alive makes no difference."
Hearing these words, Naruto could no longer restrain himself—the chakra of the Nine-Tails surged uncontrollably from his body. His whisker-like markings became more pronounced, and his originally blue pupils started turning red.
"This is..." Recognizing what it was, Deidara's face broke into an excited grin. "No wonder he cares so much—he must also be a tailed beast container."
Deidara glanced toward Sasori. The two of them, long accustomed to each other's rhythms, instantly reached an unspoken agreement.
Using clay, Deidara molded a bird, leaped onto it, and said afterward, "If you wanna find Gaara, try keeping up—I won't wait around."
Then, riding the flying bird, Deidara shot straight out of the cave and soared high into the sky.
"Don't think you can escape!" Without hesitation, Naruto turned and gave chase.
Kakashi quickly figured out the intentions of Deidara and Sasori and immediately reached out to grab Naruto, but unfortunately grabbed nothing but air.
"Hakuto volunteered before chasing after Naruto."
With Hakuto along, Kakashi felt somewhat reassured, though he remained puzzled—where had Anya gone? Why hadn't she entered? Could she have encountered that mysterious person at the cave entrance again?
Thinking thus, Kakashi immediately ordered, "Lee, follow Hakuto closely and protect her personally—her abilities are vulnerable to close-range attacks."
"Yes sir."
Lee gave a sharp nod and shot forward in a blur.
Now, with only two people remaining in the cave, Sasori brought his puppets forward with a flick of his fingers. "Only two people facing me?" he sneered. "Looks like you've already accepted your fate."
"No," Sakura said firmly. "The one destined to die... is you."
Sakura gathered her chakra and rushed at Sasori with a prepared punch.
"Watch out."
Kakashi swiftly moved with his Shunshin technique, grabbing Sakura and dodging aside.
The ground between them was now covered in traps. Sasori opened his massive mouth, shooting countless Poison Needles outward, spreading so widely that the two had nowhere left to retreat.
Naruto, chasing after them without hesitation, rushed forward recklessly. Hakuto had just emerged when she sensed something was off. Activating her Sharingan, she detected chakra fluctuations everywhere. She cautiously threw a shuriken forward—soon followed by an explosive sound.
"Clay bombs," Hakuto muttered, realization dawning. "So it's him."
Her Wing-Unit unfolded behind her as she swiftly flew above Naruto and said, "Don't keep chasing him. He's trying to separate us and leave you alone."
Unfortunately, the enraged Naruto ignored Hakuto's words entirely and stubbornly continued pursuing Deidara, keeping his distance.
Seeing this, Hakuto's expression turned solemn, an air of sacred authority subtly radiating from her. Her voice rang out with nearly commanding power: "Stop."
Running forward, Naruto jolted as if struck by lightning. His steps hesitated, the Nine-Tails' crimson glow beginning to fade from his eyes. Meanwhile, the Nine-Tails inside him muttered in disbelief, "Impossible... This chakra (a form of energy used in battle) feels oddly familiar. But why does this girl possess such power?"
Seeing Naruto finally halt, Hakuto flew closer and said, "Leave this one to me. I'll help you find out where Gaara went. You and Lee go back and assist Master Kakashi."
After saying that, Hakuto formed her Meteor Bow in her right hand and nocked a red arrow. Using Monstrous Strength, she pulled back the bowstring and locked onto Deidara midair.
Deidara, who had been taunting Naruto from above, noticing Naruto suddenly stop moving, was just about to fly closer for more provocation when an ominous sense of danger surged within him—a silent threat warning of imminent death.
Deidara instinctively shifted his flying bird sideways mid-air, without time to think.
"Shoo—"
The red arrow zipped like lightning, grazing past Deidara's face before piercing into the wing of his bird, stopping abruptly.
"What is this?" Deidara thought in alarm, reflexively looking at the arrow.
"Boom—"
The red arrow ignited flames, triggering a massive explosion.
Successfully landing the hit, Hakuto happily declared, [Explosive Arrow!] "My Explosive Arrow doesn't just pierce—it explodes too."
Deidara shot out of the smoke caused by the explosion, his body battered and covered in ash, clothes torn, blood visible on the corner of his mouth.
"Explosions?" Deidara murmured, "This is the first time someone has injured me like this."
Now, Deidara's gaze no longer lingered on Naruto. His left eye, enhanced with a mechanical device, increased his aerial reconnaissance precision, locking directly onto Hakuto.
"It's her."
Although Naruto stopped running, he didn't obey and return. After reuniting with Lee, they both happened to witness Deidara plummeting from the sky.
"Yes! We got him!" Naruto shouted joyfully and charged toward Deidara's position again, with Lee closely following.
A flash of malice flickered across Deidara's face.
"So it seems I've been underestimated."
Deidara no longer cared about capturing the Tailed Beast jinchuriki alive. He held out his palms, the mouths on them snapping open and shut. The C4 Karura (C4 Gauron) had already been silently activated in the air, countless clay bombs compressing within it until shrinking into microscopic explosives invisible to the naked eye. Nearby birds, insects, and animals unknowingly inhaled these tiny bombs—and were turned to dust in an instant. It was a horrifying sight.
Hakuto was horrified. She charged straight into Deidara's C4 zone to protect the two people running ahead of her.
Deidara chuckled eerily. "It's over. Have this!"
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