Just as it had happened in the original story, the massive C3 bomb came raining down from the sky.
However, Gaara's sand rose up like an impenetrable dome, shielding the entire village and containing the fiery blast completely outside its walls.
"Truly devastating power..." Aoi Ren shook his head in resignation. In terms of raw destructive force, Deidara's C3 bomb might not quite match the power of a Tailed Beast Ball, but it certainly came frighteningly close.
Every single member of Akatsuki possessed strength comparable to the Five Kage, and in many cases, far exceeded them!
Yet Gaara was no pushover either. Not only had he managed to sever one of Deidara's arms, but he had also successfully protected the entirety of Sunagakure. However...
"Alright, within range!" While Gaara was busy maintaining his defense over the village, Deidara was far from idle.
A small clay dove quietly fluttered its way over and landed right against the sphere of sand surrounding the Kazekage.
"Katsu!"
The dove exploded with a deafening roar, colliding with Gaara's defense and sending up a massive cloud of dust and sand. Watching from the side, Maki smirked confidently.
"Gaara's Absolute Defense is not something that can be broken so easily!"
And just as Maki had said, when the smoke cleared, Gaara's shield remained flawless and intact. But unfortunately...
"No matter how perfect a defense may be, it cannot withstand an attack that originates from within!" Aoi Ren sighed and shook his head.
Although Gaara had crushed Deidara's arm and seemed to have the upper hand, the moment he used that sand to shield himself, his fate had already been sealed!
"Art is... an EXPLOSION!"
Countless tiny clay spiders crawled out from within the very sand that made up Gaara's defense and detonated simultaneously from the inside out!
"This battle is already over," Aoi Ren muttered with a dismissive curl of his lip. He turned and began walking away from the village.
If his memory served him right, Sasori would have already killed all the guards stationed at the entrance by now.
Five minutes later, Deidara met up with Sasori, and together they walked away openly and unchallenged, carrying the captured Kazekage with them...
The storyline of the Kazekage Rescue Mission had officially begun!
"Damn it! We can't let them get away!" Kankuro gritted his teeth and set off alone in pursuit...
"Asking for death," Aoi Ren shook his head in exasperation as he watched the scene unfold. Trying to defeat Sasori using puppet techniques?
Even if Sasori wasn't the strongest warrior in the entire world, he was undoubtedly the greatest puppeteer to have ever lived...
With Kankuro's current level of skill, this was nothing short of suicide.
"Within three days, the poison will course through your veins and you will die!"
"Gaara..."
Once the brief confrontation was over and Sasori had disappeared into the distance, Aoi Ren descended slowly from the sky and landed beside the injured Kankuro.
"Such a classic scene... it almost makes me feel bad about doing this..."
Thwack!
The Kusanagi Sword pierced straight through Kankuro's body. Bright red blood mixed with the virulent purple poison gushed out from the wound.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
Intense flames erupted, reducing Kankuro's body to nothing but ash. As for his puppets, Aoi Ren collected them all without hesitation—there was no point in letting good materials go to waste.
"Kankuro is dead..." Aoi Ren smiled faintly. "Now... let's see if Chiyo-baasama still decides to show her face."
In the original timeline, the only reason Sasori had eventually allowed himself to die was because of Chiyo's emotional manipulation and sentimental speeches.
Otherwise, with his true abilities, Sakura and Chiyo together wouldn't have stood a chance. But now, with Kankuro dead, Maki would have no news to bring back, and there would be no one to convince the old woman to step out of seclusion...
Having set his first trap, Aoi Ren quietly followed behind Sasori and Deidara, heading toward the sealing location hidden within the river valley.
At this point in time, Naruto and the others from Konoha had only just begun their journey.
Watching as Deidara and Sasori arrived at the valley entrance, Aoi Ren stepped forward with a smile. "Excuse me, gentlemen! Please halt for a moment!"
"Who are you?"
Sasori frowned deeply. He had been vigilant the entire way, yet he had not detected Aoi Ren's presence at all until this very moment.
That fact alone told him one thing clearly: this man was far from ordinary!
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