Naruto: Fire-Release system

Chapter 141: Akatsuki Prepares to Raid the Hidden Cloud Village

Minato Namikaze wasn't one to waste time. Knowing the tides had shifted, he swiftly retreated.

Meanwhile, Kakuzu, having been secretly recruited by Uchiha Yi, had long known the truth about Obito's identity and the Moon's Eye Plan.

Despite his infamy as a rogue ninja and bounty hunter who thrived on violence and killing, Kakuzu wasn't a madman like Obito. Once he understood the true outcome of the Moon's Eye Plan, he knew it offered him no benefits.

There was no way Kakuzu would work wholeheartedly for Akatsuki.

Had it not been for his agreement with Uchiha Yi to act as an undercover agent, Kakuzu would have left Akatsuki long ago.

Three years! I've waited three years! When will I finally return to Amegakure? Kakuzu thought, inwardly lamenting his long exile from the Hidden Rain Village.

---

Elsewhere, after being abandoned by Uchiha Itachi, Kisame Hoshigaki and Zabuza Momochi had no choice but to flee.

Initially, they intended to regroup with Itachi, but they couldn't locate him anywhere. Left with no options, they decided to return to Akatsuki's base.

The chaos Akatsuki had caused in Konoha would soon spread across the entire ninja world. In no time, they would become public enemy number one.

Understanding this, Kisame and Zabuza knew it was unwise to linger outside. They decided to lie low for the time being.

On their way back, they encountered the "Immortal Duo," Hidan and Kakuzu, who were empty-handed, signaling their mission's failure.

Despite their failure, Kisame and Zabuza didn't dwell on it. They were more concerned about whether Obito would punish Hidan and Kakuzu for failing to capture the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki.

But such concerns were not Kisame and Zabuza's burden to bear.

Once the four returned to Akatsuki's base, they found Deidara and Sasori already waiting. Lying unconscious before them was Gaara, the One-Tail Jinchūriki.

Seeing this, it was clear their mission wasn't a complete failure.

"Yo, Hidan! Why didn't you bring back the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki?" Deidara sneered, a mocking grin spreading across his face.

"You little punk! Are you looking for a fight?" Hidan snapped, his temper flaring instantly.

"Bring it on! I'm not scared of you!" Deidara retorted, casually pulling out some clay from his pouch. The mouths on his palms began chewing, readying for a fight.

"That's perfect! I've been in a terrible mood!"

Brandishing his triple-bladed scythe, Hidan charged at Deidara.

"Seriously? You two haven't had enough fighting in Konoha?" Kakuzu sighed, shaking his head in exasperation.

For Hidan and Deidara, this was par for the course. Their volatile personalities meant they acted without much thought, often engaging in petty squabbles.

The rest of the Akatsuki members wisely stepped aside, avoiding the crossfire.

"Where's Uchiha Itachi? Why isn't he with you?" Kakuzu asked Kisame and Zabuza, noticing their missing teammate.

"No idea. Let's wait until the leader gets here," Kisame replied, his tone unusually subdued.

Spending years as Itachi's partner, Kisame had developed a deep respect and camaraderie with him. It was shocking and disheartening for him to see Itachi abandon them without a word.

This left Kisame feeling somewhat betrayed, rendering him unusually quiet.

Despite the commotion between Hidan and Deidara, they refrained from using destructive techniques, aware that Obito might reprimand them.

About half an hour later, Obito arrived.

Even with his mask, the tension in the air betrayed his foul mood.

"Damn it! Minato Namikaze outsmarted me!" Obito growled.

This wasn't a matter of power; it was a defeat of strategy.

Obito's shame was compounded by the fact that Minato's intelligence had rendered his plans ineffective.

Despite his frustration, there was no changing the fact that the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki had been rescued.

Obito had tried to recapture him, but Konoha's revived forces—comprising the First and Second Hokage, Uzumaki Mito, Kushina, Minato, and Jiraiya—had overwhelmed him, forcing a humiliating retreat.

"Everyone, rest up. In two hours, we'll raid the Hidden Cloud Village. Our priority is capturing the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki," Obito announced before disappearing into his Kamui dimension.

---

After leaving the Land of Iron, Tsunade sprinted toward Konoha without sparing a thought for conserving her chakra.

"Tsunade-sama, wait for me!" Shizune called out desperately, struggling to keep up with her mentor.

But Tsunade couldn't slow down. Her anxiety and unease wouldn't let her.

Tsunade felt like someone on the verge of losing everything, racing desperately to prevent another tragedy.

The gap in their abilities eventually left Shizune far behind.

"Tsunade-sama…" Shizune murmured, watching her mentor vanish into the distance.

Having served Tsunade for many years, Shizune understood her better than anyone. But knowing this didn't make her feel any less powerless.

She couldn't even keep up, let alone offer any meaningful assistance.

---

Meanwhile, back in the rebuilt Konoha…

"Will this disrupt your plans?" Orochimaru asked cautiously. He was concerned that reviving so many powerful figures through Edo Tensei might interfere with Uchiha Yi's objectives.

"Not much," Yi replied, shaking his head.

"If Obito wants the Nine-Tails, he'll have no choice but to revive Uchiha Madara. Otherwise, he's doomed to fail," Yi added.

Orochimaru nodded, understanding Yi's reasoning.

While Konoha's forces were bolstered by the revival of the Hokage and other powerful figures, Obito still had the advantage of the Rinnegan and the Ten-Tails once it was fully assembled.

"Madara's revival will undoubtedly escalate things," Orochimaru mused, a glint of curiosity in his eyes.

Yi smirked. "Let him come. It'll be entertaining to see how far he gets."

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