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"Surrender!"
"Let me go, you damn brutes!"
Baki's security detail swarmed, capturing the ninja who'd attacked Gojo Kaigetsu. He wore a Yugakure headband and seemed ordinary.
Baki smirked. Everything was proceeding according to plan.
That Zetsu had arrived, and this bounty ninja a cheap mercenary from Yugakure, hired as a distraction.
Security, always tightest immediately after an assassination attempt, would eventually loosen. That moment of vulnerability that's when the Akatsuki would strike.
Their agreed-upon time wasn't during the journey, or the speech, but rather the return trip.
The vast desert would be his stage.
Tsunade, having given chase, arrived at the scene.
She glanced at the captured ninja and then at Baki.
"What happened? How did a Chūnin-level mercenary infiltrate the ceremony?" Her voice was cold, laced with suspicion.
"There are always oversights. And he caught us off guard. We've been traveling for days," Baki replied calmly, unfazed by Tsunade's presence.
As the War Hawks' leader, he had to project an image of strength.
"Sunagakure's security truly impressive," Tsunade said sarcastically.
She recalled Gojo Kaigetsu's assessment of Sunagakure: Konoha's peace-loving ninja and Sunagakure's peace-loving ninja shared a common enemy—Sunagakure's warmongers.
In other words ninja like Rasa and Pakura were potential allies. But Baki? He was an enemy.
"What about this assassin?" she asked, gesturing towards the captured ninja.
"Execute him here? Or perhaps you'd prefer to handle him? We could also take him back to Suna and interrogate him," Baki offered, feigning generosity.
"A ninja like this he's likely just a mercenary from the underground exchange. Interrogation is pointless. He won't reveal his employer."
"He's a ninja, after all. Hand him over to Suna. Perhaps he can be put to use," Tsunade said, her initial urge to kill him fading. He'd dared attack Gojo Kaigetsu.
But she'd seen the changes along the trade route.
Ninjas, used for creation, are valuable tools.
Gojo Kaigetsu's words echoed in her mind.
She wouldn't waste him. Send him to the experimental farms along the trade route, let him redeem himself through labor.
Baki, his eyes gleaming, was surprised by Tsunade's restraint.
He gestured to his subordinates. "Take him away. We'll handle the evacuation. You attend to your own matters." With that, he vanished with his men.
The ceremony ended early.
The time for his deal with Black Zetsu was approaching. He had to prepare.
Rasa had to die.
Baki arrived at a pre-determined location along the return route. Dozens of ninja, his most loyal subordinates, emerged from the shadows.
"Everything in place?" he asked, his back to them.
The squad leader, understanding his role, nodded eagerly. He'd been the first to respond, to draw his shuriken when others hesitated. This was loyalty. His chance to rise.
"Everything's ready, Baki-sama. The entire desert awaits your command."
"Excellent! You've done well! I won't forget this. Choose your reward—a position in the Anbu or the Military Police Force."
"Thank you Fifth Kazekage-sama!"
Such enthusiasm.
Baki smiled, then his expression turned serious. "What are you saying? There's only one Kazekage, and that's Rasa."
"Your loyalty is misguided."
The squad leader grinned, unfazed by the reprimand. He understood. This was a sign of trust. He'd be the next Police Chief! And then that little widow
"Go. Don't arouse suspicion."
"Yes, sir!" The ninja dispersed, leaving Baki alone. He crouched down, his hand sifting through the sand.
Sunagakure, though the weakest of the Five Great Villages, had always held its own against Konoha and Iwagakure. This was due, in part, to the desert itself.
Their geography it was their greatest defense.
Kirigakure had its mist; Sunagakure, its sand.
And Baki's clan's secret technique, the Desert Layered Imperial Funeral Seal, utilized this advantage.
It required dozens of Wind Release ninja to prepare the terrain.
The sand within the designated area would swirl like a vortex, creating shifting sands that trapped anyone within. The technique also created mirages, further disorienting the enemy.
Unless they could fly, escaping was difficult.
The jutsu itself wasn't inherently destructive; it simply transformed the battlefield, isolating and dividing the enemy.
It combined barrier and genjutsu, perfect for both defense and assassination.
Only those with Baki's specific unsealing technique could navigate the shifting sands.
And whether Konoha or Suna no one could detect its activation. They'd simply assume it was a natural phenomenon.
Baki was confident Rasa wouldn't survive.
"The hunt begins." He murmured, his hands forming seals. The sand shifted, forming intricate patterns that spread across the desert.
"Ninja Art: Desert Layered Imperial Funeral Seal!" he roared, his chakra surging.
At the edges of the barrier, the sand began to swirl.
...
At the ceremony, Rasa approached Gojo Kaigetsu, his face etched with concern. "Advisor Gojo, I sincerely apologize for this lapse in security. We failed to prevent a Chūnin-level mercenary from infiltrating the ceremony. I will address this with Baki."
"It's nothing, Kazekage-sama. There's no need to apologize," Gojo Kaigetsu said dismissively, waving his hand. "I believe the ceremony's objectives have been achieved. Perhaps we should conclude, to ensure our guests' safety."
The next event was Rasa's speech.
But after the assassination attempt, the atmosphere was tense.
"Indeed," Rasa agreed. "Though our investigation suggests the assassin acted alone, it's best to err on the side of caution."
"Very well. Let's conclude."
Gojo Kaigetsu's gaze lingered on Rasa. "Kazekage-sama, take care."
"You as well, Advisor Gojo. And Temari. I'm counting on you."
"Don't worry. Your daughter she's in good hands. Yare yare~"
Gojo Kaigetsu, surrounded by his guards, turned and waved.
Yare yare Perhaps this was their final meeting.
Rasa wasn't a bad guy. Willing to sacrifice his own daughter for the village's prosperity
If he'd been more decisive during their earlier conversation, agreed to sever ties with Kumogakure Gojo Kaigetsu might have offered a warning.
Though Rasa seemed to favor Konoha, he was still wary. Under his leadership, Sunagakure, though economically reliant on Konoha, hadn't completely surrendered its independence.
He was rational, restrained. Gojo Kaigetsu couldn't find a justifiable reason to target Sunagakure.
Konoha still had standards. Attacking a village that had already submitted wouldn't look good.
He was soft, but not too soft. There was still a core of strength.
This was troublesome.
Like a well, let's just say it was a complicated situation.
To truly conquer Sunagakure, they needed a more malleable Kazekage.
Ideally, one who'd implement policies that angered the villagers, antagonized Konoha, and essentially destroyed himself.
Then Konoha could step in as the savior.
To destroy, one must first corrupt.
In times of turmoil, Konoha needed a leader like Rasa to maintain stability. But for peace and prosperity, they needed a warmonger like Baki to justify Konoha's actions. Different times, different Kazekage.
Temari, a Konoha Academy exchange student. Pakura, a convert to the Will of Fire.
Imagine Temari, a popular figure in Suna, indoctrinated with Konoha's ideology, returning to announce her candidacy at the Kazekage Tower.
Who could stop her?
And once Konoha united the ninja world, he'd have Pakura, clad in the Kazekage's robes, serving as entertainment, while Temari, the true Fifth Kazekage, ruled Suna. And then their child. And then his and Temari's.... No, that was too much.
...
"Advisor Gojo a strange man indeed," Rasa murmured as he departed.
With the ceremony concluded, and the leaders gone, the crowd dispersed quickly. The once bustling area was now deserted.
The sky darkened, wind and sand whipping through the air.
Such weather was nothing to a ninja. With a bit of chakra, they could easily traverse the desert.
But the guests, mostly ordinary people, sought shelter in the nearby service stations.
Quite comfortable, actually.
Many sipped Konoha-imported tea, gazing out at the strange weather. "This doesn't look good."
Tsunade returned to Gojo Kaigetsu's side, her face partially covered by a thin veil. She offered him one as well.
Despite her Yin Seal and Strength of a Hundred Seal, she still cared about her skin.
"Don't you think this weather is strange?" Tsunade asked, her fingers sifting through the sand.
"Strange? How so?"
It was strange. With his Six Eyes, Gojo Kaigetsu could sense a faint chakra signature clinging to the sand, undetectable even by the Byakugan.
Baki, it seemed, was taking this seriously.
He was truly dedicated to helping Konoha achieve lasting peace.
"I've fought in Suna's deserts, experienced sandstorms. This is different. Ever since the assassination attempt, the weather's been shifting. The wind, the sand it's accelerating. It's as if we've skipped a day, entered a different desert."
Desert weather was unpredictable, but there were usually signs.
A ninja's assassination causing such a drastic shift that only happened in stories. Unless it was someone like the Sage of Six Paths.
"You're right, Tsunade. Perhaps this is a stand attack," Gojo Kaigetsu said, his tone serious.
"?"
"The enemy is here."
"Really?!" Tsunade's eyes narrowed. Though she wondered how he knew, he'd never been wrong about these things.
"I'll use Kamui"
"No, wait. Let them come to us. And remember this location. If we're separated, use Kamui to return."
"Separated?"
Suddenly, the wind picked up, swirling into a frenzy. Invisible walls of wind formed, pushing them forward.
The sand beneath their feet turned to quicksand, dragging them along.
And then
Gojo Kaigetsu was alone, separated from the Konoha delegation, from Tsunade.
"Interesting. A mere sandstorm and yet, it's like a miniature Infinite Fortress, shifting us at will. Are we fighting a boss battle?"
He looked up and saw a man, his body covered in stitches, approaching, his black cloak discarded, revealing a strange mask.
"Gojo Kaigetsu of Konoha."
"Greetings, Kakuzu," Gojo Kaigetsu replied, his smile unnervingly calm.
Kakuzu frowned. Gojo Kaigetsu's reaction wasn't what he'd expected. And how did he know his name?
Something was off.
His trump card? Tsunade? If that were all dying at her hands wouldn't be so bad.
He'd grant Gojo Kaigetsu a swift death.
....
Moments earlier, Black Zetsu, having observed Tsunade's movements, had suggested a retreat.
"Let's abandon the Gojo Kaigetsu assassination. You and Sasori eliminate Rasa. That will be enough."
"Baki's jutsu might delay Tsunade, but she's one of the Sannin. If she returns before you've eliminated Gojo Kaigetsu"
"We can't save you." Black Zetsu was cautious. The Akatsuki was understaffed. He couldn't afford to lose anyone.
Tsunade was one of Konoha's strongest. If the Akatsuki had more members, they could handle her.
But one-on-one? Only Nagato stood a chance.
Kakuzu, however, had refused. If Tsunade was Gojo Kaigetsu's bodyguard, he'd hesitate, but Gojo Kaigetsu was just a Chunin, his guards scattered by Baki's jutsu. If he couldn't eliminate him now it would be humiliating.
And the bounty 1.1 billion ryō. It was worth the risk.
A ninja's life was about navigating danger, earning their pay.
He'd rejected Black Zetsu's plan and approached Gojo Kaigetsu.
"Since you know my name you're ready to die, then."
Black tendrils, like monstrous tentacles, erupted from his body.
"Die with hope."
"Ninja Art: Earth Grudge Fear – Tendril Fist!"
The tendrils shot towards Gojo Kaigetsu, covering every escape route.
But Gojo Kaigetsu simply raised a hand, activating a jutsu that awakened a deep-seated fear in Kakuzu.
"Almighty Push!"
The tendrils, mere moments from reaching their target, were repelled, scattering harmlessly.
"What?! That's Nagato's jutsu! How?" Kakuzu stared, dumbfounded.
He'd once been a wandering bounty ninja, caring only for money.
Then, he'd encountered Pain.
He'd refused to join, and they'd fought.
And he'd been crushed. Pain's Almighty Push had left a lasting impression.
And now
The same jutsu, used against him, without hand seals. The ninja world was so unfair.
"Kakuzu!" A furious roar snapped him back to reality. He dodged instinctively.
The sand where he'd been standing exploded, a deep crater forming.
A green cloak, the kanji for "ninja" emblazoned on its back, billowed in the wind.
"Damn it! That sand jutsu how did Tsunade get back so quickly?"
"The mission's a failure. I have to retreat."
He formed hand seals, preparing to use his five nature transformations to cover his escape.
Even without considering their raw power difference, Tsunade's Senju lineage intimidated him.
He remembered the fear he'd felt facing Hashirama Senju—a shuriken thrown from miles away.
He'd been confident before, but seeing Tsunade up close his resolve crumbled.
He had to escape.
"Tsunade! Calm down! I'm fine! Proceed as planned!" Gojo Kaigetsu called out.
Hearing that he was safe, Tsunade ripped off her blindfold, revealing her Mangekyō Sharingan.
"Avengers Assemble!" Gojo Kaigetsu shouted, his voice filled with dramatic flair.
Kamui, the dazzling space-time ocular jutsu, activated.
Professor Paradox, his cape billowing. Catwoman, crouched low, her hand on the sand. The Deep, atop Samehada, his arms crossed. Blazing Fury, her hands glowing with heat.
They surrounded Kakuzu.
Only Deadpool was missing, likely dispatched by Tsunade to find Sasori.
Eager to protect Gojo Kaigetsu, she'd changed their strategy. She wanted Kakuzu dead.
They'd eliminated all escape routes.
Kakuzu stared at them, his face grim. He felt like Danzo must have felt.
What had he done to deserve this?
And Zetsu had said Gojo Kaigetsu only had Tsunade as a bodyguard. Where had these monsters come from? How could Konoha have so many powerful ninja?
And that space-time jutsu
Too many questions, too little time.
Even his Earth Grudge Fear tendrils seemed to wilt.
Professor Paradox stepped forward. "You killed Danzo."
'It wasn't me!' Kakuzu wanted to say, but his pride wouldn't allow it.
"So what if I did?"
"Attacking with overwhelming numbers is this Konoha's Will of Fire? How laughable!" He looked around
Tsunade, her reputation preceded her. The black-clad kunoichi she had a Tailed Beast's chakra. The kunoichi with the burning hands a threat to his Earth Grudge Fear. The one with the surfboard Samehada. That thing absorbed chakra. Not ideal for escape. That left
He turned to Professor Paradox. "You! Fight me! One on one! Aren't you Konoha ninja always preaching about the Will of Fire? Are you defiling it now?"
Against six opponents, with Gojo Kaigetsu and his Almighty Push lurking, he had no chance. One on one that was his only hope.
He'd even invoke the Will of Fire, though he had no idea what it even meant.
"Defiling the Will of Fire? This is the Will of Fire! The bonds that unite us! We are Avengers!" Gojo Kaigetsu declared from behind Tsunade.
"This is a righteous beatdown!"
Professor Paradox, his anger at its peak, began forming seals. He'd avenge Danzo.
"This is between me and him. Stay back."
"Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Four clones appeared beside him.
Five Professor Paradoxes:
One prepared a Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet. Another channeled Lightning Release. A third, Wind Release: Rasenshuriken. The last two, Water Release and Earth Release.
Their combined chakra created a powerful pressure, reminiscent of the Third Hokage at his peak.
Even if not particularly strong, the simultaneous use of five nature transformations was impressive.
Professor Paradox was a showman.
Kakuzu, though surprised, reacted quickly, creating four clones of his own. "Don't underestimate me!"
"You think I can't do that?!"
"Earth Release: Earth Spear! Wind Release: Pressure Damage! Lightning Release: False Darkness! Fire Release: Searing Migraine! Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
Though his jutsu were less impressive, he wouldn't be outdone.
"Secret Technique: Five Element Unseal!"
His five hearts' chakra combined, creating a dazzling display.
Professor Paradox on the right, Kakuzu on the left.
Without a word, they unleashed their attacks.
A blinding flash of light engulfed the battlefield. Gojo Kaigetsu shielded his eyes, though he had nothing to fear. He was merely enjoying the show.
In a beam struggle, the left side always lost.
The light faded.
Professor Paradox stood, seemingly unscathed, while Kakuzu lay sprawled on the ground, motionless.
Round one, over.
Round two, begin!
"Stand up, stitches-covered old man!"
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