Chapter 109: Darkness of the Night
In the pitch darkness, the dwindling campfire was completely extinguished, hiding their position from potential foes. The six awakened individuals waited silently for Hyūga Hiashi's command.
After a moment, the Hyūga clan head closed his Byakugan and spoke in a grave tone, "Both targets have exceptionally large chakra reserves. They are definitely not ordinary enemies."
His words shattered any remaining illusions of safety. If even someone like Hiashi acknowledged their strength, then it was clear—the enemy wasn't just passing by. They had come specifically for them.
"They haven't pinpointed our location yet. They're being delayed by traps and genjutsu barriers," Hiashi continued. "Given that, we still have time to prepare—or even launch a preemptive strike…"
But before he could finish, a series of violent explosions erupted in the distance, demolishing the surrounding traps in one thunderous wave. The faces of the six present immediately grew grim.
"Those explosions… is it Deidara? Then the other one must be Sasori. Of course—the 'Art Duo' from Akatsuki. I had just been thinking about them, and here they are."
…
Not far away, Sasori and Deidara advanced steadily through the smoldering debris.
"See, Sasori-senpai? I told you—true art is an explosion! One blast and all the traps are gone," Deidara said smugly. "There was no need to send puppets to scout ahead."
"Less talking, Deidara," came Sasori's hoarse voice from within the puppet Hiruko. "Let's not keep them waiting."
"With you and me here, this mission will be a breeze," Deidara added. "Intel from Zetsu said there are no elites on the target side—just the Hyūga clan head. Should be easy enough."
Back at the Konoha camp, the approaching enemies could now be heard through the still air. Despite the barriers and traps, they were tearing through everything with brute force. Watching their rapid approach, Mizuki grimaced.
"Should we fall back?" he suggested. "They're coming too fast—we won't have time to finish setting up."
In terms of raw strength, Konoha's squad wasn't completely helpless. But Hyūga Hiashi's greatest strength—his deadly Gentle Fist—was best in close-range combat. Unfortunately, both Deidara and Sasori were long-range specialists.
Deidara's explosive clay—ranging from airborne birds to massive bombs—made him a nightmare to approach, especially since he could take to the skies. Sasori, on the other hand, had his near-invulnerable puppet armor, Hiruko, laced with deadly poison and countless mechanisms. And that wasn't even counting his trump cards—like the Third Kazekage puppet and his own "Hundred Puppet" technique.
Hiashi could likely defend well with his Rotation technique, but landing a decisive blow would be difficult. His long-range Gentle Fist techniques required precise timing and weren't effective against such agile opponents.
As for the others—Temari and Gaara might be strong in a few years, but right now they were still far from their peak. Without tapping into Shukaku, Gaara wasn't much help. Kurenai was powerful, but genjutsu might not affect Sasori, whose real body had long since been transformed into a puppet with only a chakra core remaining.
"Which means Kurenai should focus on Deidara. He's younger, maybe less experienced. Sasori is far too tricky for a frontal assault."
Mizuki knew his own suggestion to retreat would never be accepted. Konoha ninja were too proud to run without a fight—especially when they outnumbered the enemy and had two jōnin on their side.
"Enough. We fight," Hiashi declared. The others nodded, accepting his judgment.
"Yesterday it was Orochimaru, today it's Akatsuki… the trials just keep coming. But at least I'm not alone this time."
Mizuki passed out four vials of his all-purpose stimulant. One each to Kurenai, Hiashi, and Hyūga Ke. Seeing Hiashi accept the vial gave Mizuki a bit more peace of mind. Despite his limited range, the clan head was still the team's strongest asset. One well-placed hit could change everything.
To Temari, Mizuki handed the final vial. "You and your brother can share this. It works both topically and internally—but you're still young. I won't be responsible for any side effects."
Temari nodded seriously. She could tell from Mizuki's tone that this was no longer a game.
"So the plan is to defeat Deidara first, then surround Sasori…"
Mizuki ran through his strategy one more time. Sasori, with his multitude of tricks, would be a nightmare to take down without precise teamwork.
Meanwhile, the two Akatsuki members finally entered view. Deidara—with his blond hair, flashy features, and youthful face—looked almost out of place beside the eerie, hulking puppet Hiruko.
"Watch out. That short one is a puppet. His real body might be inside," Ke whispered. "Also, I sense poison."
"Got it," Kurenai nodded.
Mizuki added, "Be especially careful of Sasori's poison. My medicines can delay it, but they're not a cure."
"If necessary, the Hyūga clan has its own antidotes," Hiashi assured him. "I'll deal with the puppet. The rest of you, focus on the blond one."
"Understood." Mizuki agreed. Deidara was still inexperienced, while Sasori was a master of battle. Their best bet was to take down Deidara quickly and then overwhelm Sasori.
When the Akatsuki duo drew closer, it was Deidara who spoke first.
"Yo, Konoha shinobi! We're not looking for a fight. Just hand over the One-Tail Jinchūriki behind you, and we'll be on our way."
"Who are you?" Hiashi demanded, narrowing his eyes.
"I'm Deidara. This here's Sasori-senpai," Deidara replied cheerfully.
"The defector from Iwagakure…?" Hiashi muttered in disbelief.
"Oh? You've heard of me?" Deidara grinned. "Looks like I'm more famous than you, Sasori-senpai."
"Shut up," Sasori growled. "They're not handing him over. Let's get this over with."
Without another word, a tail-like appendage extended from Hiruko and lashed toward Hiashi. The Hyūga patriarch dodged calmly as the others scattered.
"Leave it to me!" Deidara shouted. He tossed a handful of clay birds into the air, which flapped toward the Konoha shinobi.
"Don't let them get close!" Hiashi barked.
His Byakugan clearly saw the chakra-filled explosives heading their way.
Mizuki squinted as he analyzed Deidara's equipment.
"That scope on his left eye—it's an anti-genjutsu device, isn't it? Developed after he lost to Itachi. This will complicate things…"
Just then, a wind blast sliced through the air. Temari had acted quickly, blowing most of the clay birds back. They exploded harmlessly in the distance. Gaara handled the stragglers by encasing them in sand and smothering their detonation.
The first exchange had begun. There was no going back.
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