Boom!
A giant summoned bird descended before the hideout, carrying the reanimated Nagato on its back.
Naruto narrowed his eyes: "Nagato hasn't broken free of the Edo Tensei control seal. This means Kabuto Yakushi is deliberately manipulating him. His willpower is truly formidable."
Swish! Under Kabuto's control, Nagato formed hand seals.
Summoning Jutsu!
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
One by one, Deidara, Kakuzu, Sasori of the Red Sand, Hanzō of the Salamander, and Itachi Uchiha appeared!
"They're here!" Naruto and Konan halted their steps.
Konan commented, "Everyone you wanted to recruit is present."
Naruto smiled faintly: "But it won't be that easy. After all, Kabuto is pulling the strings."
Behind the scenes, Kabuto was calculating meticulously: Naruto... aside from Madara's left eye, he also possesses Shisui Uchiha's right eye. Kotoamatsukami—the only genjutsu capable of overriding Edo Tensei. Though it's ineffective against Nagato's Rinnegan, it can still affect the others...
No matter. That genjutsu can't be used consecutively. As long as Itachi doesn't fall under its effect, sacrificing one of the others—Kakuzu, Sasori, Hanzō, or Deidara—won't matter much.
Swish!
Under Kabuto's command, the six reanimated figures arranged themselves into a battle formation.
Sasori, Kakuzu, and Hanzō stood at the front.
Nagato remained stationary in the center of the formation.
Itachi retreated behind Nagato, taking the rear.
Deidara soared high above, riding his clay bird.
A three-dimensional combat formation was complete.
"This formation... it's familiar. It's almost like when I fought Pain's Six Paths. Even the aerial angle is covered. Seems like using diversion tactics won't work this time," Naruto mused, his mind racing.
I think I understand Kabuto's strategy here. He knows I have access to Kotoamatsukami, so he's putting the less critical pawns upfront, tempting me to use it on them.
Well, my targets are Sasori, Kakuzu, and Itachi. Including the crow that Itachi implanted in me, I can use Kotoamatsukami twice. Between Kakuzu and Sasori, one of them will have to be turned through other means.
As Naruto pondered, Kakuzu spoke up: "Even though you're wearing a mask and the Akatsuki cloak, that unmistakable golden spiky hair... You're the Nine-Tails brat from Konoha, aren't you? The one who destroyed two of my hearts!"
Naruto's expression shifted. He casually removed his mask and greeted, "Yo, Kakuzu, long time no see. Let me formally introduce myself—I'm now the leader of Amegakure and a proud member of the New Akatsuki!"
Kakuzu sighed: "Even a hotheaded brat like you has donned this cloak that symbolizes darkness. This ninja world is truly absurd. As I thought, the only reliable thing in this world is money."
At this, Konan interjected coolly: "Kakuzu, you still have a stash of money hidden somewhere, don't you? Why not tell me the location of that exchange office? After all, you can't use it anymore. Why not let others benefit from it?"
Kakuzu's moss-green pupils shifted: "Konan, how do you know about that stash?"
Konan replied honestly, "Hidan once let it slip by accident. I overheard."
Kakuzu growled in frustration: "That idiot! If he were in front of me right now, I'd rip his head off!"
Konan offered, "He's currently in Amegakure. If you tell me where the money is, I can bring you his head. Interested?"
Kakuzu scoffed coldly: "Hmph, that does sound tempting. But unfortunately, I'm holding onto that money to let it accrue interest. I can't just let you squander it."
Konan turned to Naruto: "That's his answer."
Naruto sighed: "What a pity, Kakuzu. Looks like I'll have to invite you to Amegakure to be our accountant!"
Sizzle!
Naruto's right eye suddenly transformed into a Mangekyō Sharingan, locking onto Kakuzu's gaze.
Kotoamatsukami!
Buzz!
The connection between Kabuto and Kakuzu's reanimated body was instantly severed!
Earth Grudge Fear!
Black tendrils extended from Kakuzu's shoulders, spreading outwards.
Boom! Boom!
Hanzō and Sasori immediately distanced themselves from Kakuzu.
Behind Kakuzu, Nagato raised his hand.
Banshō Ten'in!
Whoosh!
Gravitational force from behind began pulling Kakuzu backward.
Kabuto calculated: I'll use the Human Path to finish Kakuzu off and reanimate him again. That way, Naruto's Kotoamatsukami will be wasted!
"Not on my watch!" Naruto raised his own hand.
Banshō Ten'in!
Whoosh!
Gravitational force from the front counteracted the pull from behind, causing Kakuzu's body to hover in place.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Kakuzu's reanimated body began to fracture, on the verge of splitting apart.
Shhh...
At that moment, sand gathered beside Kakuzu, forming a true eye of sand.
Blade of Fate!
Whoosh!
A vortex enveloped Kakuzu, teleporting him to Naruto's side.
Rustle, rustle, rustle!
As dust swirled, Kakuzu's fragmented body began to regenerate.
Naruto smiled: "Kakuzu, I'll be counting on you from now on!"
Kakuzu replied, "That may be so, but I still live by my creed of money above all else. Let me make this clear: from now on, every expenditure in Amegakure must go through me, including yours!"
His obsession with money... even surpasses the control of Kotoamatsukami?
Naruto, intrigued, replied: "Alright, I promise. From now on, Amegakure's finances will be entirely in your hands."
Kakuzu nodded: "Then it's settled. Now, let's wrap this up quickly! I haven't counted money in so long, my hands are itching!"
Though Kakuzu had been turned, Kabuto remained unfazed. "Heh heh heh. Losing Kakuzu? Not the worst outcome. At least his Kotoamatsukami is no longer a threat. Now I can move more freely."
High above, Deidara shouted: "Hey! Naruto! Do you remember me? My art gave you such a hard time back then!"
Naruto looked up. "You are...?"
Deidara's face turned pale with rage: "What did you just say?! My magnificent art left less of an impression on you than that money-grubbing old man Kakuzu?!"
Kakuzu coldly retorted: "Deidara, watch your words."
"Curse you all! You'll perish alongside my art!"
Clatter, clatter, clatter!
Deidara threw down a swarm of clay spiders.
Swish!
But with a wave of his sleeve, Naruto unleashed a barrage of Purple Lightning Senbon, precisely neutralizing the spiders and rendering them duds.
Deidara frowned: "Damn it! When did that brat learn Lightning Release?"
Konan cautioned: "Be careful of Deidara's aerial combat. It's not to be underestimated."
"I agree," Naruto said, forming hand seals.
Boom! A massive wooden pillar rose from the ground.
"Wood Release?!" Before anyone could react further...
Naruto altered his hand seals: "A combination of the Nara clan's shadow techniques and Wood Release—Wood Release: Shadow Pillar Technique!"
Whoosh!
The wooden pillar's shadow extended, connecting with Deidara's shadow on the ground.
Snap!
As Deidara flew on his clay bird, he suddenly hit an invisible barrier, unable to move further. Turning around, he hit another barrier at an identical distance.
He quickly realized: "I see... Using that wooden pillar as the center and the shadow's length as the radius, you've confined my movement to a circular area. In that case, I'll just blow up the pillar!"
Rustle, rustle, rustle!
Deidara smirked, reaching into his pouch to mold a clay bird bomb. But as he attempted to throw it, he found it stuck to his hand.
"What?! It's stuck?! What's going on?!"
Naruto lowered his hands from the seal: "The restriction doesn't just apply to you. Anything connected to your shadow is treated as part of a single entity. Because of the shadow's link, you can't separate from it. In other words, you can't throw any bombs."
Deidara, dumbfounded, exclaimed: "What kind of joke is this?! My art... rendered useless?!"
Ignoring Deidara, Naruto shifted his focus back to the four remaining reanimated foes.
Konan stepped forward: "I'll take care of Hanzō."
Naruto nodded: "Alright, then Sasori, Itachi, and Nagato are mine!"
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