In the dimly lit chamber, the last five surviving members of the Akatsuki assembled. The air was thick with tension, heavy with the promise of war.
Nagato no longer needed to rely on the Six Paths of Pain to move. Thanks to Obito's intervention, White Zetsu cells had been transplanted into his body, restoring strength to his once-wasted legs. Though he despised accepting help, with the Fourth Great Ninja War looming, he had swallowed his pride.
Zetsu had already divided, leaving only Black Zetsu standing silently in the corner, his expression unreadable as always.
Deidara leaned against the rough stone wall, arms crossed and face twisted in defiance. His sharp eyes darted toward Obito with unconcealed hostility. He had been deceived too many times by the Uchiha.
Obito had revealed himself as "Uchiha Madara," a claim Deidara had refused to accept. He still remembered the humiliation of being defeated by Itachi years ago—how the Sharingan had crushed his art and pride.
When Obito's "true identity" was exposed, Deidara nearly chose self-destruction in a fiery explosion of clay. If not for Obito's swift use of Genjutsu, Deidara might already be wandering the battlefield as an Edo Tensei corpse.
The thought of once again falling prey to the Sharingan's illusions made Deidara's blood boil. He had trained for years to resist such tricks, yet before the cursed eyes of the Uchiha, his defenses still crumbled.
"Hmph," he grunted, his voice low with disdain."That fool".
Obito heard the barb but gave no reaction. Instead, he turned his masked gaze toward Deidara and said coolly,
"Deidara, how about you provide the Allied Forces with a little… welcoming gift?"
"I don't take orders from a Uchiha," Deidara snapped, turning away. "Yeah!"
Obito sighed. In his eyes, Deidara was nothing more than a rebellious child, perhaps corrupted by the lingering influence of Tobi's façade. Still, he did not harbor anger. He merely shifted his gaze toward Nagato, silently urging him to intervene.
Nagato's voice cut through the silence.
"Deidara. The battlefield is the perfect stage for your art. Don't you want the entire world to witness it?"
The word "art" immediately lit a fire within Deidara. His eyes gleamed, and his lips curled into a fierce grin.
"Hmph. Of course! I'll show them true art! It's just a pity Sasori isn't here to see it…"
For once, his usual "yeah" did not follow. His voice faltered, tinged with rare sorrow. Though their artistic philosophies had clashed, Deidara had respected Sasori deeply.
Obito's voice came, calm yet deliberate.
"Don't worry. Sasori will see your performance."
Deidara stiffened, whipping his head around to stare at Obito in shock.
"What? Don't tell me… Sasori isn't already—?"
A faint smile tugged at Obito's lips.
"There exists a jutsu called Impure World Reincarnation. With it, the dead can be brought back to this world. You'll see Sasori again."
Deidara's eyes widened, disbelief giving way to exhilaration.
"There's a technique like that? Incredible! Then this time, I'll make sure Sasori witnesses the brilliance of my art, yeah!"
His earlier hostility seemed to vanish in an instant, replaced with renewed energy, as though someone had stoked the flames of his passion.
Obito gave a slight nod. Slowly, he was regaining fragments of the person he once was. If it had been the Obito of the past, he wouldn't have wasted his time placating Deidara.
Suddenly, the heavy wooden door to the chamber creaked open. Kabuto entered, his hood drawn low over his face. Following closely behind him were four unfamiliar figures.
The first was a man wrapped entirely in bandages, only his eyes exposed.
The second was a towering, dark-skinned warrior whose very presence radiated strength.
The third was a middle-aged man with a small mustache and a sly expression.
The last figure bore a striking resemblance to Gaara, his features sharp and familiar.
Deidara's eyes widened as he recognized the first man. His voice rang with disbelief.
"You… you're the Second Tsuchikage, Mū!"
As a former shinobi of Iwagakure and the last disciple of the Third Tsuchikage Ōnoki, Deidara had studied the portraits of Mū countless times. Recognition struck like lightning.
Nagato's gaze hardened as he studied the group. If this was truly the Second Tsuchikage, then the others had to be no less significant.
Obito's eyes narrowed behind his mask. He turned toward Kabuto and asked in a low, dangerous voice,
"Kabuto. Aren't you going to introduce your guests?"
Kabuto smiled smoothly, stepping aside with a mock bow.
"Since Deidara already identified the Second Tsuchikage, I won't waste words there. Allow me to introduce the others. This is the Third Raikage. This is the Second Mizukage. And this… is the Fourth Kazekage."
The chamber seemed to grow colder at his words. Though they had known of Edo Tensei, seeing the legendary Kage of old standing before them was still unnerving.
The four resurrected Kage stood rigid, their expressions grim. Kabuto, savoring the moment, had deliberately left their consciousness intact, forcing them to watch through unwilling eyes.
Rasa, the Fourth Kazekage, scanned the chamber before his gaze locked on the colossal Demonic Statue looming in the shadows. His eyes narrowed dangerously.
"What is the meaning of this? Why summon us back from the Pure Land?"
Kabuto's smile widened, cruel amusement dancing across his face.
"Heh. Isn't it obvious? You will fight in the coming war. And surely, you must be curious to see your descendants again."
The Kage's faces hardened. The Third Raikage's immense body trembled as he poured all his willpower into resisting the Edo Tensei's control. His chakra surged, his aura burning like fire, but even his legendary strength was not enough.
The others fought as well, but none could break Kabuto's binding.
Still, their sheer will unsettled Kabuto. With a flick of his wrist, he drew out several kunai embedded with talisman seals and thrust them into the bases of their skulls.
Instantly, the Kage's resistance faltered. Their eyes glazed over, and their movements stilled, becoming lifeless puppets once more.
Obito's voice came, calm yet sharp.
"Are these the only ones?"
Kabuto tilted his head, feigning surprise.
"What's this? Do you think four Kage aren't enough?"
"You know what I mean," Obito pressed, his tone edged with warning. "Did you use Edo Tensei on that one?"
Kabuto chuckled darkly.
"Oh, you mean the Uchiha…"
Before he could finish, Obito's Sharingan flared scarlet, and the air in the chamber thickened with killing intent.
Kabuto raised his hands in mock surrender, his grin unshaken.
"Calm yourself. I haven't revived him yet. Someone of that caliber… should make his entrance only at the very end."
Nagato frowned, silently observing. His mind raced. Who could Kabuto be referring to? Which Uchiha's name was enough to stir Madara to such fury?
His gaze lingered on Obito, questions forming, but he chose silence. For now.
The shadows of war deepened.
_____
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