Sakiya cheerfully dragged two unconscious bodies behind her, making her way back to the main group.
Deidara's technique had too many weaknesses.
Lightning Release was a natural counter.
Against Sakiya, he never really stood a chance.
Her chakra erosion had already saturated the air, rendering his explosive clay useless the moment he created it.
But where was the fun in ending it so quickly?
So, she played with him for a while...
Hee hee hee…
---
Meanwhile, back on the battlefield—
Sasori, just like in the original story, met his end at the hands of his "parents."
A final embrace.
Even as a human puppet, his heart—once cold and lifeless—had long yearned for warmth.
Perhaps, deep down, he had given up on life a long time ago.
Immortal, yet without meaning.
Living just for the sake of it, masking his loneliness with arrogance.
And so, in the end, he chose death.
But what a final performance it was.
The Hundred Puppet Technique.
The Third Kazekage Puppet.
A lone man holding off Konoha's shinobi and the legendary puppeteer Chiyo.
His curtain call was nothing short of magnificent.
Even Kakashi couldn't help but admire him.
"The Red Sand Sasori… Truly a genius. What a waste."
But no one felt the weight of this moment more than Chiyo.
She had killed her own grandson with her own hands.
A single tear rolled down her cheek.
She didn't wipe it away.
Instead, she simply muttered, her voice heavy with regret—
"Yes… What a waste."
Silence followed.
Then—
They saw her.
Sakiya.
Dragging one person in each hand, strolling toward them without a care in the world.
She casually walked between two trees, paying no mind as the bodies she was dragging got wedged between them.
Instead of stopping, she simply tightened her grip.
The trees groaned under the pressure.
A second later, they snapped apart, and the two bodies were yanked free, crashing and tumbling over rocks and roots along the way.
Kakashi watched the bizarre sight unfold, unsure what to say.
All he could do was silently pray that Gaara survived.
Finally, Sakiya arrived, tossing the two bodies in front of everyone before dusting off her hands.
Hands on her hips, she lifted her chin and declared triumphantly—
"Hmph! Under the power of my Death Eye, kneel before me!"
Everyone fell silent.
Completely ignoring Sakiya's narcissistic outburst, they rushed over to check on Gaara instead.
With Gaara stabilized, there was no reason for Kakashi and the others to stay in the Sand Village any longer.
Their mission was complete.
---
Chiyo knew that her family's matters and the village's recovery efforts were still ongoing.
A celebration banquet wouldn't be appropriate just yet.
So, Konoha's team decided to leave the Sand Village and head straight home.
---
On the way back, Deidara regained consciousness.
And, of course, being Deidara, he immediately tried to stir up trouble.
That lasted about two seconds—before Sakiya knocked him out again with a club.
Kakashi, curious about their prisoner, decided to question him.
Sakiya, arms crossed, looked smug.
"Hmph! Just a mere mortal with a bit of strength. But in the presence of my Death Eye, he's nothing special."
She rambled on dramatically, but Kakashi managed to piece together useful information.
This was the man behind the massive explosion earlier.
He was also Sasori's partner.
A dangerous and powerful enemy.
"We'll have to take him back for a proper interrogation."
Kakashi made his decision.
---
Back in Konoha, Danzo personally took charge of interrogating Deidara.
No one knew what methods he used or what he found out.
Meanwhile, the biggest event in Konoha was the peace talks with Iwagakure.
The negotiations weren't going smoothly—both sides were at odds over compensation.
Eventually, Onoki himself stepped in.
He insisted on speaking with Tsunade directly.
As a show of sincerity, Onoki attended the meeting in person.
Tsunade had no choice but to respond in kind.
Sakiya and the others were assigned to guard the Hokage.
When the meeting began, Onoki wasted no time getting to the point.
He explained why Iwagakure had attacked Konoha.
And then, he dropped a bombshell.
"Akatsuki took our Jinchūriki."
Tsunade's eyes widened.
"You're saying they captured your Five-Tails?"
Onoki nodded grimly.
"That's why we need to unite. Akatsuki is a real threat."
Tsunade thought back to Gaara's abduction.
The attack on Naruto.
It all fit.
They were after Jinchūriki.
But while Tsunade took Akatsuki's power seriously, Onoki had other motives.
Even after losing the Five-Tails, he still didn't believe Akatsuki was stronger than a major village.
He was using the threat of Akatsuki to improve Iwagakure's position—pushing for better terms and reducing their reparations.
A classic negotiation tactic.
But Tsunade's next words made Onoki realize that Akatsuki was far more dangerous than he had thought.
"We've identified at least five S-rank rogue ninjas among them. Their strength is terrifying—they invaded the Sand Village and successfully captured a Jinchūriki."
Onoki's expression darkened.
"We need to hold a Five Kage Summit. I suspect Akatsuki was behind this entire war from the shadows. If they continue their actions, they could even trigger another great war. And their true goal for capturing the Tailed Beasts… it's definitely not simple."
He clenched his fists.
"They're far stronger than we ever imagined."
Tsunade nodded.
"Then let Konoha take the lead in organizing the summit."
But Onoki shook his head.
"Konoha should focus on notifying Kirigakure. I'll handle Kumogakure."
After ironing out the final details, the peace talks ended successfully.
---
Konoha Returns to Calm
Life in the village gradually returned to normal.
Naruto and Kakashi, as Konoha's envoys, visited the Sand Village for diplomatic discussions.
Naruto and Gaara had grown closer as friends.
Sasuke was pushing himself to master his Lightning Release techniques, trying to reach a whole new level of speed.
Sakura had officially become Tsunade's apprentice and was training hard under her guidance.
Tsunade, now fully established as Hokage, was busy managing Konoha's affairs. Even Jiraiya, who usually wandered, was staying in the village more often to help train Naruto.
And then there was Sakiya—Konoha's rising star.
The "Angel of the Battlefield."
Even Tsunade had to formally recognize her achievements, awarding her a promotion to Jonin in front of the entire village.
---
Akatsuki's Hideout
Pain stood silently, staring at two empty seats.
Kisame shrugged.
"So neither of them came back? Even after all the warnings I gave them?"
Hidan scoffed.
"Tch. They were just too weak. Not my problem."
Itachi spoke calmly.
"We've been moving too aggressively. We've drawn the attention of Konoha, Iwagakure, and the Sand Village. If they decide to work together against us, it'll be trouble."
Pain looked at him.
"Under the power of a god, all are insects."
"Maybe," Itachi replied. "But too many insects can still be a nuisance."
Pain remained quiet for a moment before making a decision.
"For now, we halt the hunt for the Tailed Beasts."
He turned to the others.
"We need to retrieve Deidara. And while we lay low, we'll recruit some new members."
Akatsuki wasn't finished yet.