After a long journey, the group paused to recover their strength and spent a night resting. At last, they arrived at the Akatsuki's temporary hideout.
Akamaru barked toward the cliff face across the river.
Kiba said, "Akamaru says it's right here."
"Mm. Looks like it really is."
Everyone looked across the riverbank. On the stone wall stood a cave entrance, sealed by a massive boulder. Pasted on the rock was a talisman with the character "Forbidden" written on it. In front of the boulder stood a bright red torii gate.
So blatant… were they afraid people wouldn't notice this was a secret base?
The group leapt down, landing lightly atop the river.
"Kiyosuke," Hinata called.
"Yes. Byakugan!"
Hinata activated her Byakugan and peered through the boulder into the cavern within. She saw Gaara lying motionless on the ground, two Akatsuki members at his side, and the looming figure of the enormous Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
"That… what is that?"
One of its eyes turned toward her, and Hinata instinctively took a step back, her heart skipping. It took her a few seconds to steady herself.
"Kazekage-sama is inside," she reported.
"Good. Then let's break in!" Naruto's spirit surged as he moved to smash the boulder—only for Kiyosuke to stop him.
"Wait."
"What is it, Kiyosuke-san?"
Kiyosuke didn't answer right away. He stepped forward, placing his hand on the stone. A strange energy pushed him back.
"No way… a seal?"
"Not a seal. A barrier."
He rapped his fist against it.
"Yes… this is the Five-Seal Barrier."
"Old me thinks so as well."
Kakashi and Chiyo had also recognized it.
The Five-Seal Barrier worked by linking five talismans with the user's chakra, placing them at five points around the base. Within that range, a powerful barrier would form.
Its defenses were formidable. More than that, breaking it required all five talismans to be removed simultaneously. Only then could the barrier collapse.
After explaining the technique to the younger members, Kiyosuke began issuing orders. He pulled out wireless radios, muttering once again about how bizarre the technology tree of this world was.
He handed radios to his three teammates and Karin, then looked at Kakashi.
"Hinata, your job is to locate the other four talismans. Once she gives the signal, the rest of you rip them off simultaneously, then regroup here immediately. Clear?"
"Yes!"
Everyone nodded. Hinata activated her Byakugan again, carefully scanning the area until she located the remaining talismans. Without delay, the four split up.
Kakashi stuck himself to the boulder with chakra, hand lifting one corner of the talisman. Below, Sakura stood ready, black gloves on her hands, prepared to strike.
"All right, everyone's in position," Hinata's voice came over the radios.
"On my mark. One… two… three—go!"
They moved at once, tearing the talismans simultaneously. The barrier vanished in an instant.
But no sooner had it dissolved than duplicates of themselves crawled out of the ground, the river, and even the trees nearby.
Self-defense measures from the barrier.
Hinata immediately relayed the situation.
Kakashi said, "Everyone, run toward the nearest ally and support one another! Sakura, once you've broken through, go back up Hinata's team."
"Got it!"
Sakura nodded firmly and slammed her fist into the boulder.
Boom!
With raw strength inherited from Tsunade, she shattered it in a single punch. Then she jumped forward, sprinting toward Hinata's team.
Kakashi led his squad straight into the cavern.
"Gaara! Gaara! We're here to save you! Where are you?!" Naruto yelled the moment he set foot inside.
A voice answered, mocking.
"Don't bother. He can't hear you anymore."
Naruto turned. A blond-haired man was sitting on Gaara's body, patting his face with arrogance.
"Gaara! What are you doing, Gaara?!"
Rage blazed inside Naruto.
"Why won't you get up and fight?!"
"He's already dead," Kiyosuke said quietly as he stepped closer. "His tailed beast has been extracted. For a jinchūriki, death is inevitable."
"No! I don't believe it!"
Naruto's eyes turned blood-red, pupils slitting like a fox. His whisker marks darkened, his fangs lengthened, and his nails sharpened.
"Ohh… so this is the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki. But with Asakawa Kiyosuke here, this won't be easy. Let's retreat, hm." Deidara muttered to himself. At his side, Sasori fixed his gaze on Chiyo.
And Chiyo stared back—not at Sasori the Akatsuki, but at her grandson.
"No," Kiyosuke's voice cut in coldly. "None of you are leaving. This ends here."
He waved his hand, summoning a wall of fire that sealed off the entrance.
Flames lit the cavern, and Deidara and Sasori braced as though facing death itself.
Sasori said, "I should have killed you the first time we met."
"And yet you didn't."
Kiyosuke's eyes narrowed.
"Naruto. Calm yourself. If you lose control here, no one—aside from me—will make it out alive. Think of Hinata. Think of Karin and Sakura. You can't afford to lose your mind."
"I… I know!" Naruto gritted his teeth, struggling to rein in the beast's chakra.
Deidara flexed his one remaining hand. He had lost the other in battle with Gaara. His fingers kept clenching as he sneered,
"We'll escape. You can't stop me, Kiyosuke. You can't stop my art!"
He hurled a handful of clay. It transformed into two white birds—one soaring up toward the cavern roof, the other landing in front of them.
Boom!
The explosion tore a hole through the ceiling, sunlight streaming in as rocks rained down, forcing everyone back.
Deidara and Sasori mounted one of the birds, carrying Gaara's body as they rose into the sky.
"After them!"
Kiyosuke cursed, lowering the firewall. The group rushed out in pursuit.
High above, Deidara kept flinging clay bombs. Each one was detonated midair by Kiyosuke's flames before it could reach them.
"Damn, what a nuisance! Kakashi! Use that technique!"
"Right. Buy me time!"
Kakashi lifted his forehead protector, revealing the Sharingan. He formed hand seals, chakra swirling as the tomoe spun faster and faster—until the pattern shifted into a curved, sickle-like design.
The Mangekyō Sharingan.
For two years Kakashi had trained, finally mastering its use.
But this jutsu drained chakra heavily. Unless the situation was dire, he would never call upon it.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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