BOOM!
A violent explosion erupted from the red wooden pillar. Kakashi burst out through the smoke and arrived beside Naruto Uzumaki. "Naruto, I'll use ninjutsu to stop him in a moment. Get ready to attack."
As he kept leaping, Naruto's gaze never left the bird in the sky. Hearing this, he nodded. "Got it!"
"Tch!" In the sky, Deidara looked back and scoffed. "Just as I thought, he wasn't that easy to deal with. I'm running low on clay too. This is getting troublesome."
Inside Akatsuki's cave, Sakura watched the figure leap out of Hiruko, her expression turning grave. Chiyo lightly waved both hands, and the puppets "Father" and "Mother" appeared before her.
"As expected of Granny. You broke my Hiruko so quickly."
Sakura froze. That voice sounded far too young.
The black cloth fell away, revealing Sasori's true form within. He wore a black cloak patterned with red clouds, his red hair fluttering lightly. His face still held a trace of childishness, making him look like a boy of fourteen or fifteen.
"H-How?" Chiyo cried out, horror filling her eyes. "Why? You barely changed since you left. How is that possible?"
Sakura wore much the same expression. He should not have been this young. He even looked younger than she did. That was impossible.
"Heh heh." Sasori chuckled softly. "Can't believe it? Well, that's only natural. People like you, worn down by the years, could never understand the beauty of eternal art. Are you... prepared?"
A scroll appeared in his hand. Amid the white smoke released as it unfurled, a humanoid puppet emerged and hovered quietly in midair.
The instant she saw that puppet, Chiyo's pupils constricted sharply. "That is... the Third Kazekage? How could it be?"
Sakura turned toward her and cried out as well, "The Third Kazekage?