As soon as Satoru's voice fell, several small explosions erupted in the surrounding area.
The force was far less than anyone had imagined.
???
Asuma, not far away, was stunned, his expression a mix of confusion and disbelief.
"That's it?" Izumo muttered, touching his nose with a wry smile.
"From the way he acted, I thought it was some kind of ultimate ninjutsu."
But this…
It was hard not to feel disappointed.
Then again, disappointment wasn't the worst outcome. It was better than facing something genuinely devastating.
"The support team is here," Shikamaru said, his sharp eyes spotting Konoha ninja approaching in the distance.
Finally, reinforcements had arrived. Shikamaru let out a small sigh of relief.
"Is that it?" Deidara muttered, his voice tinged with puzzlement.
But his confusion quickly gave way to anger.
For Deidara, joking about art—his art—was unforgivable, even from a teammate.
Just as the group relaxed, the unexpected happened.
BOOM—
A deafening explosion echoed, and the air itself seemed to combust.
Explosions erupted from all directions, densely packed and relentless.
???
"How is this possible?"
Asuma and Deidara exchanged bewildered glances.
Why was the air exploding?
There weren't any visible explosives, nor could they detect chakra triggering the blasts.
Before anyone could process what was happening, the roof beneath their feet began to collapse.
Caught off guard, everyone fell with it.
"What kind of ninjutsu is this?"
"How is this happening?"
"And what's that weird smell?"
"Wait… this smell seems familiar…"
Satoru scratched his chin, observing the chaos with a perplexed expression.
This wasn't part of his plan.
It seemed like another set of traps had been triggered.
Strange, though—those mechanisms shouldn't have reacted.
Could Asuma's water technique have interfered?
But then, what caused the explosions?
Satoru adjusted the bandage on his hand, pondering the situation.
Suddenly, a thought struck him.
"Wait a minute—the gold exchange was built on an old sewer system, wasn't it?"
"Could it be… biogas reacting to an open flame?"
Satoru blinked in realization.
"...Science triumphs again," he sighed, folding his arms.
After a while, several figures slowly crawled out from the debris of the gold exchange building.
"Is this… fresh air?"
"We're finally out!"
Their relief was short-lived, and one by one, they collapsed, exhausted.
"I'm going to kill that guy…" one muttered weakly before fainting on the spot.
Satoru, observing the scene, walked over casually.
"Are you all right?" he asked.
Suddenly, someone reached out to grab his ankle.
"Huh?" Satoru looked down.
Meanwhile, Asuma, covered in dust and tattered clothes, felt a familiar chill.
A strange emotion welled up in his chest as he opened his eyes.
Through the haze, he spotted a familiar silhouette.
Satoru's back was unmistakable.
In the chaos, a flash of inspiration struck Asuma.
He extended a trembling hand toward Satoru.
"You… Satoru Uchiha, you bastard!"
!!!
Hearing this, the candy in Satoru's mouth nearly fell out in shock.
His pale blue eyes widened in disbelief.
No way…
How could Asuma have guessed?
Impossible.
He'd managed to stay hidden so many times before—how could he be exposed now?
"When pigs fly!" Satoru thought.
Feigning innocence, he turned and said, "Satoru Uchiha? I'm not him. You've got the wrong guy."
"No!" Asuma shouted, his voice resolute despite his condition.
"I'd recognize you even if you were reduced to ashes!"
Satoru fell silent for a moment.
"Uncle, you've really got it wrong," he replied, staring down at Asuma.
But Asuma's determination didn't waver.
Seeing no other option, Satoru's pale blue eyes gleamed with resolve.
Gripping a nearby shovel, he delivered a swift, calculated blow.
Asuma crumpled back to the ground.
"You're too tired—just sleep for now," Satoru said seriously.
Just then, Konoha's support team arrived, their faces filled with shock at the scene before them.
"What's going on?"
"Stop!"
"Is this the Akatsuki organization?"
"Their methods are so cruel!"
The chaotic scene before them left the group speechless.
Was this the righteous ninja battling against dark forces?
Or was this… Akatsuki's burial ground?
Satoru quickly retreated toward Deidara.
Despite everything, he couldn't leave his teammate behind.
"Water Release: Sobering Technique!"
A massive water balloon splashed over Deidara, drenching him.
Deidara, startled awake, locked eyes with Satoru.
His body trembled with rage as murderous intent surged from him.
"Satoru! I'm going to kill you!"
Deidara lunged at Satoru, fists clenched.
"W-wait, what?!" Satoru stammered, backing away.
"I saved you! What's with the hostility?"
Deidara's wrath only intensified, forcing Satoru to flee.
"Well, my mission's complete—I'll head back to the organization now," Satoru called out, disappearing into the distance.
Under the setting sun, their elongated shadows painted a bizarre picture.
The Konoha shinobi, still recovering, watched the scene in silence.
"What just happened?"
"Akatsuki infighting?"
Despite their confusion, they quickly got to work administering first aid.
Meanwhile, Akatsuki resumed their pursuit of the tailed beasts.
Though Satoru had warned some villages in advance, many dismissed the intelligence, overconfident in their strength.
But the harsh reality soon hit them like unrelenting waves crashing on the shore.
Far away, Satoru gazed thoughtfully into the horizon.
>>>>>
Complete Story available on Patreon.com/c/GGFanfiction :)
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