401-403

**Chapter 401: The Powerful Art Duo**

“You're the one who's dead, not me! Little Deidara-chan, let me tell you, Lord Hidan is immortal!” Hidan retorted, still sulking after being scolded by Kakuzu.

Kakuzu chimed in again with his trademark brutal honesty. “Oh, right. Except for the time when that brat Shikamaru blew you to pieces and buried you in a pit.”

“What’s your problem, Kakuzu? Can you stop bringing up the whole ‘blown-to-pieces’ thing?” Hidan growled, veins popping on his forehead. He seemed to think of something and pointed at Kakuzu with a mischievous grin. “You know what? Weren’t *you* also reduced to a pile of scraps by some Leaf ninja back in the day?”

“What did you say?” Kakuzu’s emerald-green eyes burned with barely concealed killing intent as he glared at Hidan.

“What? You heard me. Scrap heap. Kakuzu-chan is a walking scrap heap!”

“I’ll kill you.”

“You can’t.”

The bickering between the two was so loud and persistent that even the other Akatsuki members, along with the Zetsu standing nearby, were starting to get a headache.

It wasn’t just them—this chaos was getting on the nerves of the Allied Shinobi Forces, too.

“Everyone, focus! Akatsuki or not, the fate of the ninja world rests in our hands now. Don’t forget—we just went up against the Ten-Tails and lived to tell the tale! Charge!” A member of the Allied Shinobi Forces took the initiative, rallying his comrades to attack.

The others, already impatient, didn’t hesitate. Their recent “victory” over the Ten-Tails seemed to have inflated their confidence, leading them to believe the fearsome Akatsuki weren’t so terrifying anymore.

Even Gaara and the other leaders couldn’t stop them in time.

“Deidara, it seems you’ve overcome your past weaknesses,” Sasori remarked, glancing at his partner with a meaningful look. His ten fingers twitched mechanically, adjusting his control.

“Of course!” Deidara replied with a confident smile. He tossed a small clay bird into the air and formed a seal. “Today, the Allied Shinobi Forces will witness the true power of the Art Duo!”

With a puff of smoke, the clay bird expanded. Deidara leapt onto its back and took to the skies.

“Just what I was thinking,” Sasori murmured as his thin frame suddenly split apart. In the blink of an eye, he transformed into a colossal, fully armed puppet-mecha over ten meters tall.

Flames roared from its thrusters as Sasori’s puppet-mecha began to hover. This massive contraption, forged using chakra-enriched minerals from the Dragon Vein, boasted immense defensive and offensive capabilities, as well as the ability to amplify chakra flow significantly.

“I’ll open the show, then. Hmm. Let’s see how they handle my C4—it's perfect for crowds.” Deidara produced a tiny clay replica of himself and tossed it toward the massed ranks of the Allied Forces below.

“Everyone, be careful! That’s Deidara’s explosive clay! Its weakness is Lightning Release—get ready!” shouted one of the Allied shinobi, alerting his comrades.

Before the warning had fully registered, Darui stepped up. “Lightning Release: Black Panther!”

He swiftly formed seals, unleashing black lightning in the shape of a panther that surged toward the clay figure and arced toward Deidara and Sasori in the sky.

“Deidara, looks like your clay was neutralized. Too slow,” Sasori commented while deploying a chakra energy shield from his mecha to deflect the incoming lightning.

“Not so fast.” Deidara smirked and formed a seal. With a loud bang, the clay figure expanded, shrugging off the lightning, and grew to a colossal size, much like his earlier attack on Sasuke.

The ground quaked as the massive clay figure landed, sending tremors across the battlefield.

The Allied Forces froze in panic. Many halted their advance, unable to comprehend how Deidara had bypassed the clay's known weakness.

“This guy... he actually managed to overcome his clay’s Lightning Release vulnerability?” muttered Kitsuchi, wiping away cold sweat as he urged the shinobi to scatter.

But Deidara wasn’t done. He directed the clay giant to march toward the densest clusters of shinobi. With each step, the earth trembled violently.

“Alright, it’s within range now. Hmm.” Deidara squinted through his scope-like left eye, gauging the distance. Confident they were far enough from his allies, he formed a seal and detonated the C4. “Art is an explosion! Hmm!”

The giant clay figure began to swell rapidly, like an overinflated balloon.

Sensing something amiss, Gaara instinctively created a massive sand barrier to shield his comrades.

But the expected deafening explosion didn’t come. Confused murmurs spread among the shinobi.

“Was it a dud?”

Only Neji, with his Byakugan, could see the truth. “Watch out! A blue, invisible mist is spreading—get away from the blast center!” he shouted urgently.

Despite the warning, some slower shinobi were unable to escape in time. As soon as they came into contact with the mist, their bodies disintegrated into ash without a sound.

“What kind of jutsu is this?”

The Allied Forces were gripped by terror, their confidence shattered. Even among the Akatsuki, members were visibly stunned.

For the first time, the once-dismissed “kid” Deidara, who had always followed behind Sasori and Aizen calling them “big bro,” commanded respect.

“Guess I don’t need to step in after all. The Alliance is finished,” Kisame remarked, hoisting his Samehada.

“Yeah,” Zetsu muttered nervously, suddenly feeling like a bystander in his own mission.

Just as the Alliance seemed doomed, a figure appeared in the distance, accompanied by an enraged shout. “Deidara! Don’t think you’ll get away with this!”

At the last moment, Onoki arrived, using his Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique to enclose Deidara’s C4 explosion in a massive barrier, neutralizing the invisible mist.

“Lord Tsuchikage!” The Alliance cheered, their hope rekindled.

“I’m not alone!” another thunderous voice echoed as the Raikage arrived, fully healed.

To further bolster morale, Onoki delivered a critical piece of news. “Naruto Uzumaki has awakened and received the Sage of Six Paths’ power. He even healed our injuries in an instant! He’s already joined the Fourth Hokage in the final battle. Victory is ours!”

**Chapter 402: Akatsuki vs. the Allied Shinobi Forces**

"Old geezer, you're such a nuisance." Deidara, although wary of the Tsuchikage, his former teacher, couldn't help but sweat nervously upon seeing him approach.

"Deidara, have you forgotten the terror of facing me?" With a thunderous voice, the Tsuchikage pressed his hands together, beginning to form his Dust Release.

"Heh," Deidara smirked, showing more excitement than fear. "Old man Tsuchikage, let's see which is stronger—your Dust Release or my Explosive Art!"

With that, Deidara controlled his clay bird and ascended into the sky.

"Always resorting to hit-and-run tactics," the Tsuchikage grumbled, visibly annoyed. "Kazekage, Raikage, everyone—Deidara's abilities are extremely dangerous. Leave him to me. Be careful with the others."

Leaving these words behind, Onoki chased after Deidara.

"Then I'll take care of this so-called Sasori of the Red Sand," the Raikage said, glaring at Sasori, who had transformed into a massive puppet resembling a Gundam. Lightning flickered around the Raikage as he maximized his Lightning Release Chakra Mode. With a burst of speed, he launched himself at Sasori.

"Interesting." Sasori, unfazed, activated his puppet's mechanics. A series of missiles roared toward the incoming Raikage.

The Raikage's incredible speed allowed him to narrowly dodge the missiles, closing the distance between himself and Sasori.

Boom!
Amid the explosions, the Raikage stood within striking distance of Sasori.

"Looks like my puppet's targeting system needs improvement," Sasori remarked, firing several small purple capsules at the Raikage. "But these aren't something you can simply dodge."

Boom! Boom!
The capsules exploded, releasing a thick, deep-purple poisonous fog that engulfed the Raikage.

"Not good!" the Raikage quickly covered his mouth and nose.

At that critical moment, Temari unleashed a Wind Release technique, dispersing the poison. Seizing the opportunity, the Raikage charged at Sasori’s puppet, his hand glowing with sharp lightning chakra.

"Lightning Cutter Dance!"

Crack!
A shimmering chakra barrier formed around Sasori’s puppet. The Raikage's attack created cracks on the barrier but failed to break through.

"Damn it!" the Raikage growled in frustration, realizing Sasori's puppet rivaled the Susano'o in defense. Speed alone wasn't enough to penetrate it.

"Heh, interesting. It's been a while since I've faced such a resilient opponent," Sasori said, intrigued by the Raikage's ability to evade his chakra-tracking missiles.

Sasori maneuvered his puppet backward and unsheathed a massive sword from its back, engaging the Raikage in close combat.

The Raikage's speed gave him an edge, but Sasori's puppet held the upper hand in strength and durability.

To counter Sasori’s poison attacks, Temari and a group of Sand Village Wind Release users provided support, creating a fierce stalemate between the two sides.

---

Meanwhile, Zabuza Momochi had chosen his opponent: Chōjūrō.

"Hey, you with the glasses and the twin swords," Zabuza said.

"Yes!" Chōjūrō, shy but respectful toward the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, stepped forward.

"I have no interest in this war, but my life belongs to someone else, so I must follow orders." Zabuza glanced at Chōjūrō and the Mist shinobi around him. "I'll be your opponent. Kill me or die trying."

Raising his Executioner’s Blade, Zabuza faced Chōjūrō. "Come on, prove you're worthy of surpassing me."

Chōjūrō nodded resolutely. The clash of their swords began.

---

On another battlefield, Kisame Hoshigaki pointed his Samehada at Darui and Cee.

"Last time we met during the hunt for the Eight-Tails, I didn't get the chance to fight you properly. Shall we settle things now?"

"Gladly," Darui replied as he and Cee led a group of Cloud shinobi to engage Kisame, creating yet another battleground.

---

Elsewhere, Kakuzu and Hidan prepared to attack.

"It's time to settle the score with those Leaf brats," Kakuzu said to Hidan.

"My scythe has been itching for blood!" Hidan grinned maniacally, clutching his weapon and praying to Jashin before launching himself at the Ino-Shika-Chō trio.

Kakuzu followed, unleashing devastating ninjutsu combinations from the rear.

At a crucial moment, Kakashi intercepted Hidan's attack with a kunai.

But unlike their previous encounter, Kakuzu had learned from experience. He combined Wind and Fire Releases with Lightning techniques, launching relentless attacks without holding back.

Weakened by earlier battles, missing his Sharingan, and low on chakra, Kakashi struggled against the immortal duo.

Fortunately, Neji's team arrived just in time to tip the scales, preventing disaster.

---

On yet another front, Konan observed Gaara and Jiraiya cautiously.

With Deidara, Zabuza, Kisame, Hidan, and Kakuzu engaged in battle, the Allied Forces hesitated to act. They knew the true threats were Konan and the mysterious girl beside Nagato—whose Sharingan abilities remained unknown.

"Jiraiya-sama, perhaps we should maintain the current standoff," the girl suggested kindly. "As a former Leaf shinobi, I’d prefer not to harm anyone."

"Sorry, young Uchiha," Jiraiya replied firmly. "I regret what happened to your clan, but for the future of the ninja world, we must stop Aizen."

"Is that so?" The girl’s demeanor turned icy as her Sharingan morphed into an Eternal Mangekyō. The chilling chakra radiating from her eyes sent shivers through the battlefield.

*(Chapter Ends)*

Chapter 403: Shattered Space, Final Showdown

"That's... the Mangekyō Sharingan," someone in the Allied Forces recognized the iconic dojutsu.

Jiraiya added, "No, this isn't just an ordinary Mangekyō. Ordinary Mangekyō Sharingan have a single design and significant side effects. Hers, like Sasuke's, Chika's, and Madara's, is the Eternal Mangekyō."

Everyone in the Allied Forces was shocked.

The terrifying capabilities of the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan had already been demonstrated vividly through Sasuke, Chika, and especially Madara.

Madara's mastery of the Complete Body Susano'o alone was a chasm too vast to bridge.

If Izumi activated Susano'o—even if it wasn’t the complete form—just giving it legs would render her untouchable for the Allied Forces.

But as fate often dictates, the things people fear most are the ones most likely to happen.

"Well, I have no choice then," Izumi sighed. "Konan-nee-san, Nagato-ojisan, keep watch here and let no one pass."

Nagato and Konan exchanged glances and nodded. In the Allied Forces' horrified gaze, Izumi's body burst into radiant blue light and vanished in an instant.

Moments later, she reappeared beside the White Zetsu.

This was one of Izumi's Mangekyō Sharingan abilities—short-distance spatial teleportation. While it didn’t allow phasing like Kamui or cover long distances like Flying Thunder God, it was instantaneous and required no markers.

"I don't wish for a bloodbath. Borrowing your Wood Statue should suffice."

A sky-blue chakra enveloped her body as Izumi's Mangekyō Sharingan glowed. White Zetsu, nearly immune to most genjutsu, became a mere puppet under her control.

The Allied Forces were aghast. Under Izumi’s command, the meditating Wood Statue stood, its height suddenly growing to nearly 50 meters and becoming enveloped in Susano'o.

"So, this is what Aizen meant by 'Susano'o on a Buddha.' The statue’s smaller than I’d like, but there’s no need to summon my complete Susano'o. This will do."

Izumi smiled as the Buddha wrapped in Susano'o sprouted countless arms wielding Susano'o blades. The massive figure loomed over the Allied Forces, its glowing red eyes brimming with malice.

Peering down at them, Izumi’s voice, ethereal yet chilling, echoed like a devil's decree:
"Let the hunt begin."

---

Bones cracked and muscles tore as Might Guy launched the fifth step of the Evening Elephant at Aizen. The strike landed on the protective aura formed by Aizen’s Tenth Heaven Layer Technique.

*Crack!* The aura, like shattering glass, developed fissures, nearly breaking apart.

"Impressive," Aizen clapped lightly, his tone filled with admiration. "Guy, you're the first to damage my protective aura. In your current state, you're almost on par with Six Paths-tier combatants—though only for a brief moment."

Then, with a grin, Aizen echoed a line from Madara in the original story:
"But you must have more tricks up your sleeve, right? Show me what you’ve got. In taijutsu, there’s no one better than you. If you can truly entertain me, I, Aizen, shall call you the strongest."

"So even the Evening Elephant wasn’t enough?" Guy, sprawled on the ground, looked up at Aizen. "If that’s the case, I have no choice but to use the Night Guy."

His spirit surpassed his broken body as he endured unimaginable pain. Slowly, he stood, assuming a runner’s starting stance.

The red steam surrounding him surged like a dragon, targeting both Aizen and the distant Madara, who was finalizing the Tailed Beast Seal.

Guy intended to use his life’s final blaze to end this war.

"So, it’s finally time for the Night Guy?" Aizen’s heart ignited with long-lost excitement. This was the kick that almost concluded the original Naruto saga—a space-warping strike that took half of Six Paths Madara’s life.

He was eager to witness its full power.

"That's..." Madara, who had just completed the Tailed Beast Seal, noticed Guy’s transformation.

As for Black Zetsu, it had already fled far away, fearing the devastating aftermath of the battle.

For the second time, after Hashirama had once dug his heart out, Madara felt the looming shadow of death.

Without hesitation, Madara formed seals, and the ten eyes of the Gedo Statue opened simultaneously, transforming it into the Ten Tails. The beast’s power was quickly absorbed into him.

At the same moment, Guy finished gathering energy and unleashed his ultimate technique:
"Night Guy!"

"I too have an ultimate technique," Aizen muttered. "Although I’m not a sword master, I’ve fused something else into this move—my Tenth Heaven Layer at full strength."

His Zanpakutō, shrouded in jet-black Armament Haki, unleashed its peak power.

From a distance, Aizen appeared as a formless blade racing toward Guy's crimson dragon.

*BOOM!* The collision tore through space. The red dragon disintegrated instantly, and a crimson mushroom cloud erupted, warping and shattering the surrounding space.

Sasuke, the closest to the blast, instinctively activated his Complete Body Susano'o for protection.

Naruto, having just teleported with his father, used Truth-Seeking Orbs to shield himself and Minato.

Even Madara, now the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki, wrapped himself in Truth-Seeking Orbs as he stood in shock.

Far and wide, the battlefield froze. Both the Allied Forces and Akatsuki stared in stunned silence at the magnificent red mushroom cloud.

As the light and heat faded, a massive black crater was revealed—bottomless and desolate.

"Who won?" Naruto, Minato, Sasuke, and Madara all turned toward the pit, holding their breaths.

From the depths came Guy's weak voice:
"Why... why did you sheath your blade?"

Aizen stood before Guy, his Zanpakutō reversed and its hilt pressed against Guy’s chest. Blood-red cracks covered Guy’s body, and his right leg, reduced to dust, fell like withered wood.

Aizen sheathed his sword and caught Guy as he collapsed. Before Guy lost consciousness, Aizen spoke softly:
"You’re one of the rare few who’ve stayed pure from beginning to end."

"Not even Danzo’s darkness could taint you. Letting you die here would be too much of a waste."

"And besides, I didn’t rely purely on taijutsu. Otherwise, who knows how this fight would’ve ended? Rest now. Witness the new world I shall create."

With that, Aizen carried Guy out of the pit and tossed him toward Naruto. The latter immediately used Six Paths Yang Power to stabilize Guy’s life force—but even so, Guy was left permanently crippled.

Thus, the Eight Gates technique faded into legend, leaving no one capable of opening all eight gates.

As Madara and Sasuke joined Naruto and Minato, the battlefield stood still.

"Though the autumn leaves have fallen," Madara said, glancing at Guy and then Aizen, "I never expected the Eight Gates to hold such destructive power. Truly beyond expectation."

(End of Chapter)