Phantom Dragon Nine Seals, Complete

When Kakashi's group met up with Sand Village's pursuing forces at the edge of the desert, it was already the second day after Gaara's capture. The setting sun stained the sea of sand blood-red. Granny Chiyo briefly explained the Kazekage's capture and the puppeteers' pursuit to Kakashi's group. The Akatsuki members had suddenly vanished. Sand Village had then dispatched four teams to search in different directions, with little success.

"How do we pursue them now?" Kakashi went straight to the point.

Granny Chiyo gave the order directly. "Sand Village's main force will remain five li behind. The Konoha people will follow me at full speed—especially you, Uzumaki Naruto."

"Huh? Why me specifically?" Naruto pointed at himself.

"Because of the resonance between Jinchuriki. If you are not too far apart..." Chiyo's clouded eyes swept over him. "It is more reliable than any tracking technique."

Kakashi pulled down his mask. "You've really borrowed every blade Konoha has." He casually accepted scraps from Deidara and Sasori's clothing. Akamaru gave a low bark in Kiba's arms, and Kiba frowned. "The scents are mixed up... There are four people in total. Two of the scents are extremely faint. What's interesting is that one is cold like frozen silk, while the other..."

"What about the other?"

"Half-human, half-not. It smells somewhat like a plant."

Chiyo's expression darkened. "Akatsuki deployed four people this time. My grandson Sasori. During the fight, I heard the names Deidara and Sake. Sake's Kekkei Genkai is bizarre."

"Who cares what Sake is!" Naruto clenched his fists. "We'll beat them flying and rescue Gaara first!"

"Don't be reckless." Kakashi pressed a hand to his shoulder. "The enemies this time may be more dangerous than any we have faced before."

Deep within a cave a hundred li away, the ten fingers of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path glowed with a ghostly light. Gaara floated within a chakra vortex, his life being stripped away thread by thread.

The Phantom Dragon Nine Seals had been active for two days already, and the chakra chains hummed.

Zetsu suddenly opened his eyes. "Chiyo and the Konoha allied force are a hundred li away. They will reach the barrier in three hours. The barrier can hold for two hours at most."

"Do we have anyone nearby?" Pain opened his eyes as well.

"There are six people at an outpost fifteen li southwest of here," Zetsu answered truthfully.

"Shapeshifting Technique." Pain's voice was utterly calm. "Itachi and Kisame, first group. Kakuzu and Hidan, second group. Sasori and Deidara... Sake will provide support. We must ensure this sealing is completed successfully."

Neji, Sake, in the shadows gave a faint nod. He glanced at Sasori, whose puppet body stood still as a doll. Konoha had finally sent people. He just did not know whether the arrivals would be the same as in the "original story."

Itachi and Kisame's shapeshifted clones stood atop a sand dune. Though they possessed only thirty percent of the originals' strength, the crimson Sharingan and Samehada's savage appearance still made the air congeal. Neji's shapeshifted clone watched the Konoha arrivals from the shadows: Kakashi, Naruto, Sakura... Yamato?! Why was he here too? Wasn't Yamato supposed to join Naruto's team only after Gaara had been rescued? And why was Team 8 here? Seeing the faces of his former companions, ripples stirred in Neji's heart. Hinata, Kiba, and Shino... he hoped they could return alive. Where was Kurenai Yuhi? Judging by the timeline, she should have been on her honeymoon with Asuma, making babies. Then would Might Guy and Team 3 come too?

"Water Release: Great Exploding Water Shockwave!" Kisame's clone formed hand seals, and towering waves rose in the desert.

"Wood Release: Wood Wall!" Yamato's wooden wall surged from the ground, but the force of the water still cracked it apart.

"Lightning Blade!" Kakashi turned into a streak of lightning and lunged, stabbing straight at Kisame. But Itachi's figure had already appeared at his flank like a ghost, a shuriken wrapped in black flames—

"Rasengan!"

An orange figure flashed past. The instant Naruto's Big Ball Rasengan collided with Amaterasu's black flames, the flames clung to Naruto's chakra cloak. Seeing this, Kakashi immediately used Lightning Blade to slice the black flames off Naruto's chakra cloak.

"Interesting!" Itachi's clone showed surprise for the first time and murmured softly.

"Wind Style: Rasenshuriken!" A dark-red Tailed Beast Cloak emerged around Naruto, and a chakra hurricane formed in his palm. "Every member of Akatsuki—none of them can be underestimated!"

The Wind Style Rasengan Shuriken was pushed forward by a Tailed Beast chakra arm, but Neji's clone suddenly emerged from the sand and pressed both hands against the ground. "Earth Release: Rock Flow Fortress Wall." The sandy ground rose into a ring-shaped stone fortress. Neji immediately used his Kekkei Genkai as well, Petrifying Touch. Yet the moment it contacted the Rasenshuriken, the stone wall shattered in the hurricane. Still, the instant it bought allowed Itachi and Kisame's clones to retreat at high speed and avoid injury. Neji could not help but look at Naruto in a new light. Whether in ninjutsu or combat skill, Naruto was first-rate. He was just too rash, too easily worked up, and unable to keep his cool.

"That was Naruto's S-rank ninjutsu!" Kiba shouted. Since it had failed to hit the enemy, he was even more disappointed than Naruto.

Sake continued forming seals. "Earth Release: Rock-Stealing Rod." Dozens of stone spikes burst from the sand. Though Hinata's Byakugan saw through their trajectories, the spikes suddenly petrified and hardened on the surface as they approached, their speed surging—

"Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!" Hinata shattered most of the stone spikes, but one grazed her left shoulder. Rock-like patterns instantly spread over the wound and faded only three seconds later. She grunted and dropped to one knee. Miss Hinata, do not blame me for being ruthless. We are enemies now. You always squeeze the softest persimmon first. Besides, this would anger Naruto and expose an opening.

"Hinata!" Naruto's Tailed Beast Cloak suddenly swelled, showing signs of losing control.

"Don't lose focus!" Kakashi's Sharingan spun rapidly. "Their tactics are to inflict precise injuries and delay us. Sakura, medical support!" Naruto still listened to Kakashi.

Just as Sakura was about to move, Kisame's Samehada swept toward her. Yamato's Wood Release bound Samehada, and Kakashi's Lightning Blade thrust pierced through Kisame's clone's heart. At the same time, Itachi activated Tsukuyomi—

Chiyo's ten chakra threads shot out, and three puppets entangled Itachi's clone's limbs. "This old woman has seen those eyes before!" Sealing talismans shot from the puppets' mechanisms. The instant one touched Itachi's clone's forehead, Neji lifted a finger. "Petrifying Touch." The talisman petrified and failed.

But that instant of delay was enough. Naruto's army of Shadow Clones burst from the surrounding sand, and over a hundred Rasengan struck at once. Itachi's clone vanished amid the light. Neji assessed the situation. His role was mainly support, and his performance just now had been commendable.

After seven hours, they had thought they had killed two enemies, only to suddenly discover that the corpses had transformed into other people. Granny Chiyo looked at the bodies. "It is the Shapeshifting Technique. They truly were only buying time!" Looking at the Konoha group that had fought beside her, Hinata had a bone-deep wound on her left shoulder, and Sakura's medical chakra had barely stopped the bleeding. Kiba and Shino stood guard. Kakashi panted heavily, Yamato's face was somewhat pale, and the one in the best condition was unexpectedly Uzumaki Naruto. Naruto had been the main force in the battle just now. Sure enough, no Jinchuriki was normal.

Hearing Granny Chiyo's words, Naruto sensed Gaara's presence. Gaara was nearby, but his presence was already extremely weak, ready to vanish at any moment.

"I can sense Gaara's presence. He's over there." Naruto casually pointed toward the location of the Phantom Dragon Nine Seals. "And it's weak. It feels like it's about to disappear."

Upon hearing Naruto, Kakashi looked at Chiyo, took out a soldier pill, swallowed it, and gave the order. "Move!"

Kakuzu and Hidan's shapeshifted clones had long been waiting on the road ahead.

Kakuzu's Earth Grudge Fear masks danced wildly in the air, while Hidan's Three-Moon Scythe was red as blood.

"The Evil God needs more sacrifices!" Hidan licked the edge of the Three-Moon Scythe.

"Wind Style: Pressure Damage! Fire Release: Head Mincer!" Kakuzu's two masks unleashed combined ninjutsu at the same time, and a firestorm swept across the rocky area.

"Earth Release: Three-Layer Earth-Style Wall!" Kakashi roared and used Earth-Style Walls to block the firestorm. Naruto charged at Kakuzu with a Big Ball Rasengan, only to be tightly bound by Earth Grudge Fear's tendrils.

"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!" Kakuzu's Water Release mask unexpectedly sprayed a high-pressure water blade straight at Yamato.

"Wood Release: Wood Wall!" Yamato blocked it again. The instant the wooden wall stopped the water blade, it shattered into wood chips that filled the sky. At some point, Kakashi had created a Lightning Release Clone, which directly shattered one of Kakuzu's hearts.

"Argh!" The mask shattered, and Kakuzu's clone staggered backward.

During the previous clash, Hidan had marked Naruto with his Three-Moon Scythe. He had already drawn the ritual circle on the ground, and the scythe blade was stained with blood from Naruto's arm. "The ritual begins—"

"Don't even think about it!" Sakura did not know what ritual it was, but she reacted swiftly. Her monstrous-strength punch smashed into the ground, cracking the rock layer and forcibly interrupting the ritual. But Hidan had already leaped into the air, his scythe blade turning toward her throat.

"Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm!" Hinata endured the pain and struck, the palm wind knocking the scythe blade aside. Hidan grinned viciously and was about to attack again when a mass of insects suddenly appeared beneath his feet, pinning him in place. Shino had also noticed Hidan's strangeness and already made his move.

"Now!" Chiyo's ten fingers moved rapidly, and puppets stabbed out from blind spots, piercing through Hidan's clone's chest. Though Hidan had an immortal body, the Shapeshifting Technique could only use thirty percent of the original's power. In the end, he could only perish on the spot. But Kakuzu's final counterattack had already arrived—his remaining four masks fused, and a black spear stabbed toward Naruto's back.

"Tailed Beast Cloak: Three-Tails State!" Dark-red chakra wrapped Naruto. He tried to catch the spear barehanded, blood spraying from his palm. "Wind Style: Rasenshuriken!"

The instant the Wind Style Rasenshuriken swallowed Kakuzu's clone, Neji's clone suddenly appeared behind Naruto and lightly tapped the surface of his Tailed Beast Cloak. "Petrifying Touch: Chakra Condensation." Part of the Tailed Beast Cloak petrified and hardened, causing the Rasenshuriken's chakra flow to stall—

"Pfft!" Naruto spat out blood as the technique backfired. Though Kakuzu's clone was destroyed, the meridians in Naruto's right arm were injured.

"Naruto!" Sakura rushed over to treat him.

Neji's clone retreated a few steps and looked at his fingertips, which were petrifying—when he had touched the Tailed Beast Cloak just now, that violent chakra had almost surged back into his meridians. He silently formed hand seals. Before turning into shattered stone and disappearing, he gave Naruto, surrounded by the others, a long look.

The second breakthrough took nine hours. Naruto's right arm could temporarily no longer condense high-density chakra, while Hinata had lost too much blood and needed others to support her in turns. Kakashi's face was deathly pale from continuous use of the Sharingan, and Yamato was not much better. Though Granny Chiyo had not acted much, her age was a factor, and she showed some fatigue. The ones in the best condition were Inuzuka Kiba, Shino Aburame, and Sakura Haruno, the girl with monstrous strength.

Kakashi helplessly looked in the direction Naruto had pointed earlier, feeling a deep sense of powerlessness. He asked Shino, "Has Lord Hokage sent reinforcements?"

Shino Aburame sensed for a while before responding. "Guy-sensei will bring Team 3 to support us. They just finished handing over their mission."

A weary force. That was Kakashi's assessment of his team at the moment.

Enduring the pain, Naruto said, "Kakashi-sensei, I can feel Gaara's presence is about to disappear. Let's hurry over."

Kakashi looked at Naruto's anxious expression and calmly arranged things. "Hinata, Kiba, Shino, stay here and await support. Once Might Guy arrives with Team 3, share with them the intelligence about our battle with Akatsuki."

"I haven't even fought yet. I can continue the pursuit." Kiba was clearly dissatisfied with Kakashi's arrangement.

Kakashi glared at Kiba and said sternly, "Follow orders."

The three Chunin of Team 8 immediately answered in unison, "Yes!"

Then he looked at the others and shouted, "Keep moving!"

Sasori and Neji's shapeshifted clones stood quietly in the morning mist. Neji silently calculated that there were less than three hours left until the Phantom Dragon Nine Seals ended. There was no longer any need for him or Sasori to act.

At that moment, Granny Chiyo and Kakashi's group arrived fifty meters away from them.

Hiruko's tail stinger slowly rose.

"Sasori-senpai, there is enough time now." Neji glanced at Sasori beside him.

Sasori of the Red Sand had actually condensed a shapeshifted clone early on, just like Neji. He had merely been observing coldly all along. Though Pain had assigned him and Sake to support the others, he did not like helping people, and likewise needed no one's help. Now that the clones of Itachi Uchiha, Kisame Hoshigaki, Kakuzu, and Hidan had all failed, he finally appeared reluctantly.

"Sasori..." Chiyo's voice was hoarse, and her body was already prepared for battle.

Yamato watched the enemy in the distance and prepared to form hand seals.

Naruto tried to condense a Rasenshuriken, but the pain in his right arm threw his chakra into disorder. "Damn it..."

Kakashi swallowed another soldier pill, pulled his forehead protector up to his forehead, and prepared to activate his Sharingan.

Sakura clenched both fists, ready to deal the enemy a lethal blow with her monstrous strength at any time.

They faced off for so long that Neji thought Sasori had forgotten what he had told him. "Retreat." Sasori then released the Shapeshifting Technique.

Seeing this, Neji knew that Sasori had accepted his suggestion. There was no need to fight, so he released the Shapeshifting Technique as well.

When Kakashi saw that the Akatsuki members across from them had released their techniques without even fighting, he could not help but breathe a sigh of relief. He had wasted that soldier pill for nothing. He quickly asked Naruto, "Can you still sense Gaara's presence?"

Naruto closed his eyes and sensed for a moment. "Only a trace. It comes and goes."

Kakashi understood that Gaara was likely beyond saving, but as the core leader of the group, he certainly could not say anything discouraging.

Everyone hurried toward their destination.

At the same time, deep within the cave, Kisame said with a fake smile, "Sasori-san, why so fast?"

Sasori said nothing and ignored Kisame.

Neji answered with a smile, "Thanks to the four seniors blocking them ahead of us, Sasori-senpai and I did not need to act at all."

Hidan shouted, "Puppeteers are stinking rats in holes!" venting his anger over being ambushed and failing to offer a sacrifice to the Evil God.

"Quiet! It is about to end." Pain's imposing voice rang out.

Just as Chiyo and the Konoha group broke through the barrier, Gaara's corpse fell stiffly onto the ground deep within the cave.

Phantom Dragon Nine Seals, complete.