Inoiki continued, his tone calm but laced with warning, "And I suggest you deal with Sasori as soon as possible. He may be useless now, but if the leader of Akatsuki takes his capture as a personal affront to his so-called 'godhood,' then you'll be facing far greater danger than before."
He glanced back at the ruined cave behind them.
"There should still be one of Sasori's puppets among the rubble—one sturdy enough to house his core. Use it to contain him, at least until you find a more permanent solution."
Ebizo gave a solemn nod. "Understood. We'll act quickly and take your words to heart."
Inoiki then turned toward Team Kakashi and Team Guy. "Both of your teams should remain here until you've extracted whatever useful information you can from Sasori. Once you're done, return to the village immediately."
Kakashi nodded with a calm, serious expression. "Understood. We'll carry it out."
Inoiki's words carried significant weight—not just because of his rank as a Jonin, but because he was recognized as one of the most powerful shinobi in Konoha.
After giving all the instructions he needed to, Inoiki summoned his massive sword, which rose into the air and hovered horizontally at his side, enveloped in a soft sky-blue aura. With a flick of his hand, he used his psychokinesis to lift Deidara's unconscious body, impaling the collar of the Akatsuki cloak onto the sword's tip. Deidara dangled in the air, held securely by Inoiki's precise control.
Then, without another word, Inoiki launched into the sky. The sword, glowing with energy, streaked forward like a comet, leaving behind a faint trail of light. Within seconds, both he and his captive vanished over the horizon.
Just before Inoiki vanished into the sky, many of the kunoichis of Sunagakure found their eyes drawn to him. His presence was striking—blond hair tousled by the wind, sky-blue eyes glowing with power, and a sleek contrast of black clothing against the radiant aura surrounding him. The sky-blue energy that enveloped him made him appear almost ethereal. Several kunoichis blushed, captivated by his appearance and the effortless strength he radiated.
But before they could admire him for long, Inoiki was already gone—soaring beyond the horizon, leaving behind only a shimmering trail of light and quiet wonder in the hearts of those who watched him leave.
Temari, observing the dreamy expressions of the kunoichis around her, let out a quiet sigh and crossed her arms. "Alright," she said sharply, "he's gone. Time to return to reality. We still have work to do—let's find all of Sasori's puppets."
The kunoichis, startled back to focus, quickly nodded and snapped out of their daze. Alongside the other Sunagakure shinobi, they began fanning out across the area, sifting through the rubble in search of Sasori's puppet body.
Meanwhile, a few of the remaining Suna ninjas carefully approached Lady Chiyo's still form. With solemn reverence, they began the task of properly positioning her body, ensuring that her sacrifice would be honored with dignity.
----
Kotetsu and Izumo sat at their usual post near the main gate of Konoha, the last rays of the setting sun casting long shadows across the road. The surrounding forest was already cloaked in twilight, and the light was fading fast—soon, night would settle in completely.
Kotetsu let out a long yawn, stretching his arms behind his head. "Man, guarding the gate is seriously boring," he muttered.
Izumo glanced at him, then back out at the empty path beyond the gate. "It's boring, yeah… but low-risk, too. Depending on the day, of course."
Kotetsu smirked. "True. No life-threatening missions, no chasing rogue ninja—just sitting here, getting paid in full."
Izumo chuckled. "And yet, we still complain."
Just as Kotetsu and Izumo were beginning to relax, their wireless radio crackled to life with urgency.
"Alert! Alert! Unknown chakra signature detected—an intruder has entered the Konoha atmosphere!"
Both men immediately sprang to their feet, the ease of a quiet evening vanishing in an instant. They rushed out of the guard post and looked toward the sky. A streak of blue light blazed across the twilight, heading straight for the Hokage building.
Kotetsu squinted and said, "That looks like Inoiki's usual travel pattern… So why are we getting a full-scale alert?"
Izumo frowned, already calculating the possibilities. "You're right, it does look like him—but we can't make assumptions. Orders are orders. It could be someone impersonating Inoiki's technique."
He adjusted his headband and turned toward the village.
"You stay here and keep watch on the gate," he said firmly. "I'll follow the light and report back."
Kotetsu nodded, suddenly wide awake. "Be careful."
Just as Izumo was about to sprint off, a calm voice echoed directly in his mind.
"No need to be alarmed. This is Yamanaka Inoiki. I've captured an important enemy and am heading straight to the Hokage. There's no danger—stand down."
Izumo froze mid-step, blinking in surprise. He looked at Kotetsu, who seemed equally stunned.
"You heard that too?" Kotetsu asked, eyes wide.
Izumo nodded. "Yeah... That was definitely Inoiki."
But they weren't the only ones. Across the village, every ninja who had been mobilizing to respond to the unknown chakra signal heard the same message in their heads. Inoiki had used his psychic abilities to communicate with them all at once—swiftly diffusing the potential panic.
Most of the shinobi immediately ceased their actions, reassured by the message. However, the ANBU didn't stop. Their mission was absolute: protect the Hokage at all costs. Regardless of who it was or what they claimed, they couldn't afford to lower their guard until the threat was confirmed neutral.
Izumo exhaled slowly. "Well, that solves one thing… but the ANBU are going to be tense until they see it for themselves."
Kotetsu nodded, watching the trail of blue light streaking through the sky. "Yeah. Let's just hope everything goes smoothly from here."
Inoiki came to a smooth stop outside the second floor of the Hokage building, hovering effortlessly on his glowing, sky-blue sword. Suspended from the tip of the blade by the collar of his Akatsuki cloak, Deidara dangled lifelessly—defeated and unconscious, swaying slightly in the wind.
Inside, Tsunade had already been alerted of an unidentified chakra signature breaching Konoha's perimeter. She'd been moments away from issuing a village-wide alert when Inoiki's voice echoed clearly in her mind. And now, seeing him outside her window with an Akatsuki member in tow, her worry vanished, replaced by sharp, focused relief.
With a wave of her hand, she turned to the nearest ANBU agents stationed inside her office.
"Stand down. Call off the alert," she commanded. "Tell the others it was a false alarm. It's Inoiki—he's brought us a prisoner."
The ANBU nodded and disappeared in an instant, vanishing to spread the order. Tsunade stepped forward and opened the window, wind rushing into the room as her golden eyes met Inoiki's calm, unshaken gaze.
"Bring him in," she said.
----
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