The next morning, Satoru was unceremoniously dragged out of bed by Deidara.
"Hey, do you know it's bad karma to disturb someone's sleep this early?" Satoru yawned lazily, rubbing his eyes. His disheveled white hair hung loosely over his forehead. "Isn't this Kakuzu's job? Why am I getting dragged into it?"
Deidara, carrying a corpse over one shoulder and dragging Satoru with the other, grinned. "Kakuzu's injured. Someone has to cash in the bounty, and you're coming with me."
"This has nothing to do with me," Satoru muttered, eyeing Deidara with exasperation. Ever since they had worked together on a bomb trap, Deidara had taken a peculiar liking to him, treating him as an "artistic comrade" despite Satoru's protests.
"I told you, we're a team," Deidara said enthusiastically. "Teamwork is important."
Deidara's enthusiasm made Satoru sigh in defeat. He lazily picked up a skewer of dango from his pocket, taking a bite as he walked.
"Hmm, strawberry flavor… not bad," he muttered, ignoring Deidara's growing impatience.
Arrival at the Gold Exchange
The two eventually arrived at the gold exchange house. Satoru stopped in his tracks, eyeing the location skeptically.
"Wait a second… why is this place built next to a public toilet?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "What's the message here? Money is… crap?"
Deidara paused, genuinely considering the question before shrugging. "The location makes it more discreet. Nobody suspects a facility next to a toilet."
Satoru shook his head, unimpressed. "You go ahead. I'll wait here."
"Suit yourself," Deidara replied, heading inside with the bounty.
Satoru leaned against a stone step outside, enjoying his dango while absentmindedly counting clouds. "Why did I let him talk me into this?" he muttered to himself.
Meanwhile, in Konoha
In Konoha, the Asuma team was stationed nearby, surveilling the gold exchange after receiving intelligence that Akatsuki members would be arriving to cash in a bounty.
"Nothing suspicious so far," Izumo commented. "Are we sure they're coming?"
"They'll show up," Asuma replied confidently. "The intel is solid."
Shikamaru, standing nearby, added, "They might just be using a different exchange. We'll know soon enough."
An Unexpected Confrontation
Back at the exchange, Satoru remained sprawled lazily on the steps, pondering Deidara's delay. What's taking him so long? Could he have run off with the money?
As he mused, faint footsteps approached from behind. A subtle shift in the air caught his attention just before a volley of shuriken whizzed toward him, glinting in the sunlight.
"So serious already?" Satoru remarked, his pale blue eyes curving into a mischievous smile. Effortlessly, he dodged the attack with a series of light-footed leaps.
His gaze fell on Asuma, who emerged from the shadows, flanked by his team.
"Long time no see," Satoru said casually, recognizing Asuma from their previous encounters.
Before Asuma could respond, Shikamaru's voice rang out: "Shadow Possession Jutsu!"
Satoru felt the shadows beneath him stretch and twist, locking his movements in place. "Huh," he said, tilting his head with mock indignation. "You brought a whole team just for me? Overkill, don't you think?"
Shikamaru smirked from his vantage point. "You didn't make it easy last time. We're taking no chances."
Asuma gestured to Izumo and Kotetsu. "Quickly. We don't have much time."
Izumo and Kotetsu moved in, raising their blades. With careful precision, they struck, aiming to incapacitate Satoru without killing him outright.
"Got him," Kotetsu said as his blade made contact. But as the weapon pierced Satoru's body, something was off. Instead of blood, a strange orange-yellow liquid oozed from the wound.
"What…?" Izumo muttered, staring at the bizarre substance.
Shikamaru's sharp eyes caught the anomaly immediately. "Wait—get back!" he shouted. "It's a trap!"
Too late. The figure before them began to swell grotesquely, expanding like an overinflated balloon. In an instant, it exploded with a deafening BOOM, spraying the area with the mysterious orange liquid.
Aftermath of the Explosion
Asuma narrowly escaped the blast, but Izumo and Kotetsu were caught in the thick of it. When the smoke cleared, they were sprawled on the ground, drenched in the sticky substance.
"Asuma-sensei!" Shikamaru called out, rushing to assess the situation. He crouched next to the fallen duo, his face pale with worry. "Izumo, Kotetsu, are you okay?"
After a tense moment, both men stirred, coughing violently.
"Ugh… disgusting!" Kotetsu groaned, wiping at his face.
Asuma blinked in confusion. "Disgusting?"
"It's not poison… just gross!" Izumo managed to gasp, struggling to sit up.
Realization dawned on Shikamaru. "He tricked us. That wasn't him—it was a decoy."
The True Satoru
From a safe distance, Satoru watched the chaos unfold, his white hair swaying in the breeze. "Deidara would've appreciated that one," he mused, a playful grin tugging at his lips.
Sliding his hands into his pockets, he turned and walked away, humming a tune. "I wonder if they'll figure out it was just paint…"