----
"Lord Ao!"
The distant Kirigakure shinobi were horrified by the strange scene before them.
They had no idea what had just happened.
C4: Karura was a technique Deidara had long suppressed within Akatsuki, a piece of "art" he had developed to honour Sasori.
The technique involved creating a life-sized clay replica of Sasori, which, upon initial detonation, released a shockwave not meant to deal significant damage but rather to scatter his true killing move:
Microscopic clay spiders, invisible to the naked eye, disperse across a set radius.
These clay spiders were comparable in size to human cells and would infiltrate the target's body.
Upon detonation, they would obliterate the target from the cellular level, making the attack virtually impossible to defend against.
The earlier wave of large, floating "Baymax" bombs had merely been a decoy, meant to distract the Lightning Release users and prevent them from interfering with the C4 explosion.
There was even a larger-scale version of C4, which would have covered an even wider range, but Deidara refrained from using it, If he accidentally turned the Six-Tails Jinchūriki into ash, the mission would be a failure.
Watching the devastating effects of his C4, Deidara was pleased and addressed the remaining shinobi below:
"Now then, would you be so kind as to hand over the Six-Tails Jinchūriki?"
His answer?
A barrage of shuriken, kunai, and long-range jutsu.
The remaining shinobi, fueled by rage and grief, launched a frantic counterattack, yelling:
"Don't be ridiculous!"
Deidara dodged the attacks, casually tossing more clay bombs as he laughed:
"Guess that's a no, huh? Hm."
He then muttered to himself, "That shark-faced bastard should be making his move by now…"
---
At this moment, Utakata, the Six-Tails Jinchūriki, and his student and lover Hotaru were being guarded by a squad of Anbu inside their home.
No matter how chaotic the outside world became, they remained inside.
Ao had explicitly ordered that under no circumstances should Utakata be allowed to fight unless it was absolutely necessary.
And since Ao's death had not yet been reported, they continued following orders.
However—
Just because they stayed inside didn't mean trouble wouldn't come knocking.
With most of Kirigakure's forces occupied by Deidara's bombardment, Kisame had successfully infiltrated the village and located Utakata's residence.
"Who's there?!"
A hidden Anbu sentry immediately sounded the alarm from the rooftop.
Kisame didn't even glance at him.
He simply swung his massive bandaged blade, Samehada, in a single, effortless arc—
CRASH!
The wooden wall shattered instantly, leaving a gaping hole large enough for two people to pass through.
In an instant, four Anbu leapt down, forming a defensive encirclement around Kisame.
But Kisame paid them no mind.
His small, beady eyes peered through the hole in the wall, locking onto the two figures inside:
1. A young woman with long, pale yellow hair, appearing frail clearly not the target.
2. A man with a relaxed, lazy aura, holding a pipe, matching the description of Utakata.
3. Two additional Anbu, gripping their swords tightly, standing protectively before the two.
The Anbu squad leader recognized him instantly
"Hoshigaki Kisame!"
Kisame grinned, "Oh? Someone still remembers me."
He raised Samehada, pointing directly at Utakata.
"That guy's my target."
"If you value your lives, I suggest you step aside."
Kisame's words were not a bluff, nor were they merely cruel arrogance.
He had slaughtered too many of his former comrades in Kirigakure.
During his time in the Hidden Mist's Hunter-nin Corps, he had been ordered to eliminate countless fellow shinobi to prevent them from falling into enemy hands.
At first, Kisame followed orders without hesitation.
But as time passed, the constant slaughter of his own allies began to weigh on him.
Was this really the right way?
He was killing his comrades to protect Kirigakure's secrets…
But wasn't protecting Kirigakure supposed to mean protecting his comrades?
What did it mean… to kill one's comrades to protect them?
Kisame couldn't wrap his head around it.
He simply repeated the cycle of slaughter after slaughter until one day, a dying female cryptography ninja he had just stabbed through the heart looked at him with pity and whispered:
"Your life… must have been very difficult."
For the first time, Kisame felt something in his chest ache.
For the first time, he began to question his own existence, Was his only purpose to endlessly kill his own comrades?
A moment ago, he and his comrades were joking about their missions.
A moment later, his blade was piercing their bodies.
That time… he felt as if his own heart had been impaled.
The shinobi world was a merciless place, constantly forcing people to question their beliefs.
Yet at the same time, their limited understanding and flawed logic often led them to false conclusions.
Kisame was no exception.
Lost in his own doubts, he was easily swayed by the idea of the Infinite Tsukuyomi.
A world without pain, where everyone lived in a blissful illusion…
Perhaps, to Kisame, even a false paradise was better than the nightmare of reality.
And so—
He devoted himself to that illusory goal, working tirelessly for Akatsuki.
He was standing before his former village, preparing to capture Utakata.
But even now, Kisame did not wish to kill them.
Despite no longer being their comrade, he didn't want to take their lives.
Of course, the Kirigakure Anbu had no interest in his internal struggle.
Even if they understood his thoughts, they would never surrender Utakata.
The Anbu squad leader stood his ground.
"The Mizukage entrusted the village and Utakata's safety to us."
"Now the village is in ruins… and we'll lay down our lives before letting you leave!"
Kisame sighed.
"Then I guess there's no helping it."
He knew his mission's importance no matter what, he had to complete it.
The Anbu didn't hesitate—
A barrage of kunai, shuriken, and senbon was sent flying toward Kisame.
But Kisame simply swung Samehada, the massive sword acting like a shield, effortlessly knocking all the projectiles away.
Then, he stepped forward, bringing Samehada down upon Anbu Alpha.
CLANG!
Anbu Alpha managed to block it with his blade, but he was visibly struggling.
Then—
Samehada's bandages unravelled, revealing rows of jagged scales, which suddenly dug into Anbu Alpha's shoulder!
"Agh!"
His chakra was being drained and in the next moment, Samehada ripped off a chunk of his flesh.
---
The Anbu squad leader shouted.
"Samehada absorbs chakra! Don't let it touch you!"
The battle had begun.
----
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