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The battle against the Six-Tails Jinchūriki had finally ended.
Though Deidara managed to secure the victory, his condition was far from good.
After all, Pain himself had once captured that Jinchūriki, whose corrosive abilities naturally countered Deidara's explosive clay.
Many of his bombs had been dissolved before detonation, turning what should have been a quick victory into a grueling struggle.
Hearing the faint movement from the forest, Deidara caught a glimpse of an Akatsuki cloak flashing between the trees. Relief washed over him.
"Tch… Tobi, always showing up late. It's all on you now… I'm done for."
He stumbled forward, barely staying upright as he looked at the masked man approaching.
"The rest is up to you. Don't embarrass me, got it?"
With that, dizziness overtook him, and Deidara collapsed into unconsciousness.
Obito still hiding his true identity behind the mask of "Tobi" looked over the fallen bomber and the defeated Six-Tails Jinchūriki lying unconscious in a nearby crater.
"He actually pulled it off… guess I don't have to waste my energy," he muttered.
After checking that neither of them would wake anytime soon, Obito activated Kamui.
In an instant, all three vanished into the swirling vortex of space-time.
---
Meanwhile…
Neji stood in silence after receiving the latest report from Obito, a faint smile crossing his lips.
The Six-Tails captured, Deidara gravely injured, the Immortal Duo gone, Itachi dead, and Kisame now my prisoner.
The Akatsuki were rapidly losing manpower.
He knew Pain would soon receive word from Black Zetsu about the Three-Tails resurfacing.
Working with Zetsu had its risks, but the creature's efficiency was undeniable.
"Time to head for the Land of Water," Neji murmured, vanishing in a blur of motion.
Moments later, he arrived at the coordinates Zetsu had sent.
There, Obito stood over the unconscious Deidara and the captured Six-Tails host.
"Kisame's with me," Neji said flatly.
Obito only nodded, clearly uninterested. "As long as my plan stays on course, that's all that matters."
With a casual kick, he sent the Six-Tails' limp body toward Neji.
Neji raised his hand chakra energy spiraling into his palm.
A swirl of radiant motes gathered as he pressed his hand against the Jinchūriki's chest.
A fragment of pure light emerged, fusing into a missing segment of his system's "Tree Interface."
The spectral tree within his consciousness now had more branches but its central trunk still contained a vast, gaping void of darkness.
Without another word, Neji tossed the body aside and met Obito's gaze.
"I'll be waiting for Pain," he said coolly before disappearing once again.
Obito's Sharingan gleamed faintly. With a wave of his hand, Tobi separated from his body.
"Handle them," he ordered before warping away into Kamui's dimension his temporary alliance with Neji having reached its first milestone.
Tobi crouched beside Deidara and the Six-Tails, poking Deidara's cheek.
"Wow… Deidara-senpai really went all out this time."
He sighed, hoisted Deidara onto his back, and grabbed the Six-Tails' host.
"Guess it's time to inform Pain and start the sealing ritual. This one's gonna take days…"
---
At Konoha Village
Inside the Hokage's office, an Anbu operative appeared before Tsunade, handing her a sealed report.
Her expression darkened with every word she read.
The message confirmed it Kirigakure's Six-Tails Jinchūriki had been captured.
Combined with recent intel that the Eight-Tails had narrowly escaped abduction, it painted a grim picture.
"The Immortal Duo failed to take Naruto, but Akatsuki is relentless," Tsunade muttered.
Then, her tone hardened.
"As Fifth Hokage, I'm issuing a formal request alert the other four Great Shinobi Nations.
We're forming a joint task force to hunt down Akatsuki!"
After the messenger left, Shizune looked at her nervously.
"Lady Tsunade… has it really come to this?"
Tsunade's brow furrowed, her fists tightening on the desk.
"This isn't about one village anymore. It's about the survival of the entire shinobi world."
She exhaled sharply.
"Akatsuki already controls nearly all the Tailed Beasts except the Eight-Tails and Nine-Tails.
Whatever they're planning it won't end well for anyone."
She struck the table lightly, frustration slipping through her composure.
"If they get those last two… the consequences will be catastrophic."
Shizune nodded grimly.
Ever since Gaara's abduction, Tsunade had been urging the other villages to take Akatsuki seriously but most had brushed it off.
The Cloud Village boasted that Akatsuki "wouldn't dare" attack them.
But when the Two-Tails was captured and turned into a puppet spy, nearly costing them the Eight-Tails as well…
Their arrogance was shattered, and the Stone Village wasted no time mocking them for it.
Now, with the Sand supporting the alliance, only Mist remained cautious, and Stone and Cloud finally began to realize the threat was real.
Even so, Tsunade knew cooperation would be difficult Akatsuki had yet to show their true power, and the villages still underestimated them.
---
Land of Water – Akatsuki Hideout
Within a dark cavern, Pain stood before the unconscious Deidara.
His eyes narrowed, but he said nothing.
Hands forming a seal, he summoned the [Gedo Statue].
The massive figure loomed over them, its mouth opening to begin the sealing ritual.
Only three participants remained pain, Konan, and Zetsu.
The process was slower now, far more draining.
Zetsu's voice echoed from the shadows. "My clone found something near the Land of Waves… someone matching Zabuza Momochi's description. He's alive and using the power of the Three-Tails."
Pain's eyes opened, the Rinnegan rings rippling with light.
"Zabuza… the Three-Tails Jinchūriki. Are you certain?"
"I saw it myself," Zetsu replied. "That chakra no mistake."
Pain nodded slowly.
"Once this sealing is complete, I'll capture him myself."
The chamber fell silent again as the statue's energy pulsed.
The long ritual resumed, marking yet another dark step in Akatsuki's grand design.
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