The Aftermath of Sasuke Killing Deidara

Kumogakure, Raikage Office.

"Bang—!"

Fourth Raikage A's fist slammed viciously into the desk, shattering the solid wooden surface. His secretary, Mabui, and Shi stood nearby with grave expressions.

"Sasuke Uchiha... a Konoha Genin?" The Raikage's voice trembled with rage. "A Genin killed Deidara, a core member of Akatsuki, alone? Do you take us for idiots?!"

Shi spoke cautiously. "Lord Raikage, intelligence confirms that Sasuke is still registered as a Konoha Genin. Although he defected to Orochimaru three years ago, Konoha never officially declared him a missing-nin."

"That's exactly the problem!" the Raikage roared. "Someone who is nominally still a Konoha ninja killed an Akatsuki member—and Akatsuki alone never attacks Konoha! What does that mean? Is Konoha showing the entire Shinobi World their 'innocence'? Or are they warning us that Konoha can train 'Genin' capable of killing Akatsuki members alone?!"

Mabui analyzed the matter calmly. "From a tactical standpoint, Sasuke killing Deidara has indeed weakened Akatsuki. But the political implications of this incident... are delicate. Other villages will believe that Konoha's secretly cultivated forces have begun to act, and that whether their target is Akatsuki or not, Konoha is displaying its strength."

The Raikage's face darkened. "Tell the intelligence division to intensify its tracking of Sasuke Uchiha. I want to know his current location, an assessment of his strength, and... exactly what Konoha is plotting."

Iwagakure, Tsuchikage Office.

The Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, floated before the window as he listened to ANBU's intelligence report. A complicated expression appeared on his aged face.

"Sasuke Uchiha... Orochimaru's vessel, who turned around and killed Orochimaru, and now has killed Deidara." Ōnoki muttered to himself. "Konoha played this move brilliantly."

Kurotsuchi, standing behind him, looked puzzled. "Grandfather, what's so brilliant about it?"

"The ambiguity." Ōnoki turned, his gaze sharp. "Sasuke is nominally still a Konoha ninja. Him killing an Akatsuki member can be interpreted as Konoha fighting Akatsuki. But in truth, he defected long ago, so Konoha can claim that this was 'the personal action of a rogue ninja.' They can advance or retreat as they please."

Akatsuchi scratched his head. "So what does Konoha actually want?"

Ōnoki fell silent for a moment before slowly saying, "They may be preparing for some coming upheaval. That woman Tsunade... she looks bold and straightforward, but her mind is exceedingly meticulous. She deliberately never announced Sasuke's defection because she wanted to keep this card in reserve. Now she has played it. By killing an Akatsuki member, she has displayed strength while also silencing the other villages—'Look, Konoha's people are fighting Akatsuki too.'"

He floated over to the map and stared at the Land of Fire. "But the more perfect it is, the more suspicious it becomes. Pass down the order: Rock Village is to enter Level Two alert, especially along the borders adjoining the Land of Fire. I have a feeling... the Shinobi World is about to descend into chaos."

Kirigakure, Mizukage Office.

After hearing the report, the Fifth Mizukage, Mei Terumi, elegantly lifted her teacup, though a trace of coldness flashed through her emerald eyes.

"Sasuke Uchiha... has that child already grown this strong?" she said softly. "He killed Deidara, that Explosion Release prodigy who could face the Three-Tails alone."

Chojuro nervously clutched Hiramekarei. "Lady Mizukage, is this... good news for us? Akatsuki has lost a member."

"It is both good and bad." Mei Terumi set down her teacup. "The good news is that Akatsuki has indeed suffered a loss. The bad news is... the 'potential' Konoha has displayed is unsettling. If one Sasuke Uchiha can kill Deidara, then how many more such 'Genin' does Konoha have? And besides..."

She looked out the window. "Sasuke's next target will most likely be Itachi Uchiha. If even Itachi dies by his hand... then Konoha will truly have raised a monster. When that happens, how much say will Mist Village still have before Konoha?"

Ao's white eye, transplanted from the Hyuga Clan, narrowed slightly. "Should we send someone to contact Sasuke? Try to recruit him?"

Mei Terumi shook her head. "Too dangerous. That child has nothing but revenge in his heart right now. Whoever stands in his way becomes his enemy. We... should wait and watch."

Sunagakure, Kazekage Office.

After listening to Kankuro's report, Gaara remained silent for a long time.

"Sasuke... killed Deidara," he repeated quietly.

Temari frowned. "Gaara, this is a difficult matter for Sand Village. We are allied with Konoha, so logically we should support them. But the other villages will certainly become even more suspicious of Konoha now. If we openly support them, we will be isolated."

Kankuro held the Crow puppet in his arms. "And that guy Sasuke... is he really still a Konoha ninja? In name, yes, but in reality..."

"In reality, he is a ninja pursuing his own path," Gaara said slowly.

He recalled the cold and ruthless Sasuke from the Chunin Ninja Exams. He recalled Naruto's pain when he later learned that Sasuke had gone to Orochimaru. He recalled, after being killed and revived, his reflections on the meaning of existence.

"Sand Village will remain neutral." Gaara finally made his decision. "We will not comment publicly on this matter, but secretly strengthen intelligence sharing with Konoha—limited to matters concerning Akatsuki. As for Sasuke... that is Konoha's internal affair, and it would not be appropriate for us to interfere."

He paused, then added, "But inform the border forces: if Sasuke or any Akatsuki member enters the Land of Wind, report it immediately. The balance of the Shinobi World is being broken. Sand Village... must navigate carefully."

Konoha, Hokage Office.

Tsunade looked at the detailed battle report on Sasuke killing Deidara. Her fingers tapped unconsciously against the desk.

"He killed Deidara alone and used Manda as a substitute to block the self-destruction..." she murmured. "That brat... has already become this strong."

Shizune held Tonton in her arms and said worriedly, "Lady Tsunade, the other villages must be guessing our intentions now. Sasuke is nominally still a Konoha Genin, and his killing an Akatsuki member will be interpreted as Konoha taking action."

"I know." Tsunade rubbed her temples. "But what can we do? Officially declare Sasuke a rogue ninja? And then what? Let the whole Shinobi World laugh at us, saying that the genius Konoha raised defected and even killed an Akatsuki member?"

She rose to her feet and walked to the window. "Sasuke's identity... is a delicate card. If we announce his defection, we completely lose even nominal claim over him; if we do not, we must endure the other villages' suspicions. But compared to suspicion..."

Tsunade's gaze sharpened. "What worries me more is what Sasuke will do next. He killed Deidara. Itachi is next. And Itachi..."

"Konoha made him a promise," Tsunade said quietly. "We promised to protect Sasuke. But now..."

"Lady Tsunade," Shizune said softly, "Kakashi has already set out with Team 8 and Sakura. They will do everything they can to find Sasuke and bring him back."

"Bring him back..." Tsunade gave a bitter smile. "That child is filled with hatred now. How could he possibly come back obediently? And even if he did return, what could Konoha give him? What could he accept?"

The office fell silent.

After a long while, Tsunade spoke again. "What about Naruto... any news from Jiraiya?"

"Lord Jiraiya sent word that Naruto's training at Mount Myoboku is progressing smoothly. He can already enter Sage Mode at a basic level, though he cannot maintain it for long," Shizune reported. "As for Sasuke... should we tell him?"

"No." Tsunade decisively shook her head. "Absolutely not right now. If that child learns that Sasuke killed Deidara and is seeking Itachi for revenge, he will rush out of Mount Myoboku without a second thought. And Akatsuki... their target is the Nine-Tails inside Naruto."

She walked to the desk, her fingers tracing the map of the Shinobi World. "Akatsuki has already collected seven Tailed Beasts. Only the Eight-Tails and Nine-Tails remain. Naruto is in the greatest danger now. He must master Sage Arts as quickly as possible and gain the strength to protect himself. As for Sasuke..."

Tsunade looked at the Land of Fire on the map, her expression complicated. "That child chose the hardest path. All we can do is protect him as much as possible and keep him from falling completely into darkness."

"But the other villages..." Shizune hesitated.

"Let them speculate." Tsunade sat back down, recovering her usual boldness. "Konoha needs no explanation for its actions. Konoha will deal with Sasuke's matter itself. As for their suspicions... hmph, once the Akatsuki threat has been eliminated, we can settle accounts slowly."

Though she said that, Shizune could see the veins faintly bulging on Tsunade's clenched fist.

This female Hokage was carrying pressures beyond what outsiders could imagine.

Mount Myoboku, Waterfall Training Grounds.

Uzumaki Naruto sat cross-legged beneath the waterfall, his entire body coated in golden Toad Oil. Natural Energy surged into his body like a tide, violently colliding with his own chakra.

"Balance... I need balance..." Naruto gritted his teeth and endured. Orange markings began to appear around his eyes, while his pupils shifted toward those of a frog.

Not far away, Sage Fukasaku and Sage Shima watched anxiously.

"Little Naruto's rate of progress is astonishing," Fukasaku said. "It has only been a month, and he can already enter Sage Mode at a basic level."

Shima nodded. "But he is not stable enough yet. And... something is weighing on his heart."

Indeed, though Naruto was training, there was always a trace of restlessness deep in his eyes. It was agitation rising from the depths of his soul—some bond was being stirred.

"Pervy Sage!" Naruto suddenly withdrew from his training state, jumped to his feet, and looked at Jiraiya nearby. "I... I've been feeling uneasy lately. It feels like... Sasuke is calling out to me."

Jiraiya's expression shifted slightly, though he remained calm on the surface. "You just miss that kid too much. Focus on your training. Once you master Sage Arts, I'll take you to find him."

"But..." Naruto clutched his chest. "It really hurts here... Sasuke... is he in danger?"

Jiraiya looked at the concern in his student's eyes and sighed inwardly. He knew that Naruto and Sasuke shared a special bond, a deep connection forged through life and death, as rivals and companions. If something major happened to Sasuke, Naruto truly could sense it.

But precisely because of that, he could not tell him now.

"Naruto." Jiraiya placed a hand on his student's shoulder, unusually serious. "Do you trust me?"

Naruto froze for a moment, then nodded firmly. "I do!"

"Then trust my judgment," Jiraiya said. "Telling you about Sasuke now will do no good for you, for him, or for Konoha. The only thing you need to do now is become stronger—strong enough to protect everyone, strong enough... to bring Sasuke back."

Naruto looked into Jiraiya's eyes. After a long while, he nodded heavily. "I understand! I'll work twice as hard! Once I learn Sage Arts, I'll definitely bring Sasuke back! It's a promise for my whole life!"

He sat back down beneath the waterfall, closed his eyes, and absorbed Natural Energy with even greater focus.

Jiraiya watched his student's resolute profile, his heart filled with complicated feelings.

Naruto did not know that Sasuke had already killed Deidara and was on the road to find Itachi. He did not know that the fate of the brothers' battle could no longer be avoided. He did not know that currents were stirring beneath the surface of the Shinobi World because of this event.

But perhaps... not knowing was for the best.

Jiraiya looked into the distance, as if he could see that black-haired youth in dark clothes walking the bloodstained road of revenge.

"Sasuke, Naruto... you two..." he sighed softly. "The gears of fate have already begun to turn faster."

And at that moment, far away at Naka Shrine, Itachi Uchiha seemed to sense something and raised his head toward Konoha.

The corner of Itachi's mouth curved into an almost imperceptible smile.

It was the final, faint expectation of his life.

The storm in the Shinobi World continued to brew in silence.

Sasuke's killing of Deidara was like a massive stone cast into a still lake, its ripples spreading through the entire Shinobi World.

Suspicion, calculation, worry, expectation... all kinds of emotions intertwined among the Five Great Nations.

And at the center of it all—Sasuke Uchiha—knew nothing of it.

He merely gripped the Kusanagi Sword and led Snake Squad steadily onward, toward Naka Shrine, toward his brother.

The end of his revenge was right before his eyes.