"CRASH!"
Akio kicked open the castle gate, which had been reduced to little more than a sheet of battered metal after Kakashi's sword had torn through it.
He walked inside with the director and cameraman.
"Uh… Great-Grandpa?"
Tsukika suddenly frowned.
"I feel kind of strange…"
Dense purple markings began appearing across her face and wrists.
Akio's expression tightened.
A gentle white glow appeared in his right hand as he placed it against Tsukika's leg.
"There's poisonous gas inside the castle. How are you feeling now?"
"Better, Great-Grandpa…"
"Poison gas?!"
The director's eyes lit up.
"COOL! Great-Grandpa, can you give us all another special effect?!"
Akio glanced back at the others.
"It's chakra-sealing poison gas. It only affects people who can use chakra."
They continued through the corridor and entered the castle's grand hall.
Doto, who had looked thoroughly beaten only moments ago, was now sitting arrogantly upon the stone throne at the far end of the chamber.
He even had a helmet on.
In front of him, Kakashi was concentrating on suppressing the purple markings spreading across his body.
Koyuki watched him anxiously.
"Looks like your uncle has won after all, Koyuki!"
"The entire castle is filled with poison that suppresses chakra. It only affects people who possess chakra. For the next five days, you'll all be ordinary civilians!"
He laughed arrogantly.
"What could you possibly do against me now?!"
"Hahahaha"
He suddenly noticed Akio and the others.
"Hmm? And now more fools have come to die?"
Akio smiled.
This guy really hadn't heard the saying that villains always talk themselves into a grave.
His voice quietly reached Koyuki's ears.
"Deliver your line. Great-Grandpa will handle the special effects."
Koyuki blinked.
Then she immediately raised her sword toward Doto.
"Even if our strength has been sealed…"
"As long as we refuse to surrender, justice will always overcome evil!"
Doto:
"...What?"
Before he could process the ridiculous line, a flash of silver suddenly erupted.
Kakashi, who everyone had assumed was barely holding on, vanished.
He reappeared in front of Doto and slashed.
Doto's eyes widened.
His armor shattered piece by piece.
For several seconds, he stood completely frozen.
Then he realized something.
He wasn't hurt.
Doto let out a huge sigh of relief.
He looked toward Kakashi, who had already returned to his original position and was breathing heavily.
Doto slowly stood up.
A vicious grin spread across his face.
"Hatake Kakashi of the Hidden Leaf truly lives up to his reputation."
"I won't underestimate you again!"
"Ice Release: Black Dragon"
"What?!"
A blinding white radiance suddenly erupted from Koyuki's sword.
She swung with all her strength.
A gigantic wave of pure-white chakra tore through the hall.
"Ice Release: Twin Black Dragon Blizzard!"
Two enormous black dragons erupted from Doto's fists.
The white blade of chakra sliced through both of them effortlessly.
"BOOM!"
The attack slammed directly into Doto.
He crashed through the castle wall, leaving a human-shaped crater before being hurled outside.
"Again!"
Koyuki froze.
Memories from her childhood flashed through her mind.
Her expression became complicated.
Then she swung the sword again.
Another wave of white energy shot forward.
Akio quietly exhaled.
Two attacks.
And that was another Nine-Tails' worth of chakra gone.
A familiar system notification appeared.
"Witnessed and drastically altered the events of the Naruto theatrical film: The Adventures of Princess Gale. Received 30 × 8 Witness Points."
The notification confirmed it.
Doto Kazahana, buried beneath the avalanche of snow created by the attack, was dead.
Koyuki stood silently with both hands resting on her sword.
Sunlight streamed through the human-shaped hole in the castle wall behind her.
A gentle breeze swept through her hair.
For a moment, she looked like the heroine she'd always been meant to become.
"COOL!"
The director was practically crying from excitement.
"This movie is going to be the biggest hit in the entire shinobi world!"
"CUT!"
The instant he shouted it, Koyuki dropped the sword and hurried toward Kakashi.
"Kakashi! Are you all right?"
"I'm fine."
Kakashi glanced toward Akio.
"Senior… could I get one of those special effects?"
Akio laughed and walked over, immediately using medical ninjutsu on him.
"Your resistance to poison is still pretty poor."
"I can't exactly compare with you."
"BOOM!"
Another enormous explosion suddenly shook the castle.
The entire building trembled.
Akio paused.
Then smiled.
"Well, looks like things are getting serious over there."
...
Outside the castle.
Facing Sasuke's Susanoo, Deidara had finally stopped holding back.
Explosive clay creatures of every shape and size filled the sky.
One explosion after another battered Sasuke's immature Susanoo, blowing chunks out of the skeletal defense.
But Sasuke wasn't fighting alone.
Sakura had withdrawn from the battle, while Naruto absolutely refused to sit back.
Once Naruto began drawing upon Kurama's chakra, he could repeatedly buy Sasuke enough time to repair the damaged Susanoo.
The battle had become a vicious cycle.
Neither side could gain a decisive advantage.
The massive explosions coming from the castle eventually reached them.
Deidara glanced toward the noise.
His expression became increasingly impatient.
"Those two brats…"
"We don't have time to keep playing around!"
He summoned another enormous clay bird.
Mounting it, Deidara rapidly climbed into the sky.
Naruto and Sasuke looked at each other.
"Did he run away?"
No.
Deidara was preparing something much more dangerous.
High above the battlefield, he began molding an enormous C3 explosive.
This was no ordinary piece of clay.
He poured a tremendous amount of chakra into it, shaping the explosive into a humanoid figure.
Once dropped, the clay figure would rapidly expand as it fell, producing a devastating explosion capable of destroying an entire settlement.
Deidara glanced down at Sasuke's Susanoo.
"With that sturdy skeleton protecting them, C3-18 probably won't kill them…"
"Hm!"
Even Deidara knew when to hold back.
He was just about to spit the clay figure from his mouth when
A familiar sensation suddenly ran through him.
He froze.
Another bolt of lightning struck his clay bird.
"WHO THE HELL KEEPS SHOOTING MY BIRD?! HUH?!"
The bird began spiraling downward.
This time Deidara had climbed much higher than before in order to deploy C3.
He had no time to look for whoever was responsible.
He frantically tried to stabilize the damaged bird.
Then
He froze again.
Someone was suddenly sitting back-to-back with him.
In midair.
Deidara slowly turned his head.
"Your bird isn't half bad to ride, Deidara."
His body stiffened.
That voice.
That tone.
Those red eyes.
That red hair.
It was definitely
"Uzumaki Akio…?"
Deidara's eyes widened.
"Did you get shorter too, just like the old man?! Hm!"
Akio turned around with a cheerful smile.
His youthful face nearly made Deidara do a double take.
"Sorry to disappoint you, kid!"
Akio suddenly jumped off the clay bird.
As he did, he gave it a little push downward.
The already-damaged bird accelerated toward the ground.
"BOOM!"
The clay bird slammed into the snow.
Deidara felt like every bone in his body had been shaken loose.
He tried to curse.
Instead, his vision went black for a moment.
"Damn…"
Akio landed safely nearby.
He waited.
And waited.
No system notification appeared.
He scratched his head.
"So this doesn't count as part of Sasuke and Deidara's battle?"
He sighed.
"Fine. Whatever."
"I wasn't actually planning to let Deidara fall to his death."
Akio waved toward the three genin approaching him.
"Go check on Kakashi at the castle. The battle's over!"
"Great-Grandpa!"
Naruto pointed toward the battered Deidara lying in the snow.
"What about this guy?"
Akio thought for a moment.
Then a brilliant smile spread across his face.
He hurried over to Deidara.
"Oh, poor Deidara! How did you manage to fall out of the sky like that?"
"Come on, let Great-Grandpa take a look."
"Did you hurt yourself anywhere?"
Deidara:
"..."
---
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