While Shinji was cashing in his treasures at the exchange, he also picked up a great deal of the latest intelligence.
One report in particular caught his attention.
According to the description, there was a high probability that a Special‑Grade Cursed Spirit was causing trouble in the area.
So after wrapping up everything regarding Tsunade, he immediately took his team and headed toward the large lake mentioned in the report.
But before they could arrive, someone else had already reached the location first.
...
"This must be the place. How do we lure the target out?" Deidara asked casually.
"Wait and see for now. Didn't they say a huge shadow is sometimes seen moving beneath the surface?" Sasori replied calmly.
He was in no hurry; as long as he was certain the target was inside this lake, there was nowhere for it to run.
The Akatsuki organization had its own special information network.
They had been searching for the Three‑Tails for years. Recently, many witnesses had reported seeing a massive shape moving under the water.
People nearby were too scared to go near the lake anymore, and even the fishermen had mostly stayed away.
They couldn't be absolutely sure it was the Three‑Tails… but they preferred to be safe rather than miss their chance.
Pain immediately assigned this mission to Deidara and Sasori.
Meanwhile, Itachi and Kisame were preparing to infiltrate the Hidden Mist Village to capture the One‑Tail Jinchūriki.
It was worth mentioning that Gaara, since being sent to the Mist Village, had actually been living a much more comfortable life than before.
At least here, no one looked at him like a monster. Everyone around him was kind and friendly.
This wasn't surprising. After all, Yagura had once served as the Fourth Mizukage while being a Jinchūriki himself.
That proved that the Hidden Mist Village had a relatively open and enlightened attitude toward those who carried Tailed Beasts inside them.
Of course, there were still people who viewed Jinchūriki as dangerous monsters — and the defection of the Six‑Tails Jinchūriki had a lot to do with that prejudice.
But it was definitely far better than the Hidden Sand Village — much better.
In the Sand Village, Jinchūriki had never been treated as human beings. The previous host, Fuu, had been locked away in a cell until the day she died.
Gaara's childhood had been even more tragic than Naruto's.
And now, after all this time, not a single person from the Sand Village had come to visit or check on him.
Gaara had effectively lost all faith and loyalty toward his old home.
For him, staying in the Hidden Mist forever might actually be the best possible outcome.
Right now, however, he had no idea that a terrifying organization had already set its sights on him.
As for Kakuzu and Muramasa's team — upon receiving Tobi's report — Pain had sent them to capture the Nine‑Tails Jinchūriki, since they were the closest to the target.
It was the perfect opportunity.
And Pain himself wasn't idle. According to the latest intelligence, the Six‑Tails Jinchūriki was suspected to be hiding in a remote mountain village.
Once he confirmed the information was accurate, he would lead the Six Paths of Pain and Konan to capture the Six‑Tails.
Ever since they successfully captured the Two‑Tails, Akatsuki had been operating at full capacity — no one was allowed to rest.
...
Deidara and Sasori had already been waiting for half a day, and the sun was beginning to set.
"Should we keep waiting, Sasori‑san?"
Sasori's answer remained the same: "Wait."
And so they stood there and waited through the entire night.
If it had been anyone else, Deidara would have started complaining long ago.
But he respected Sasori greatly — otherwise he wouldn't have called him "brother," or stayed patient for a whole day and night.
Then, just as the first rays of the morning sun touched the earth, Sasori spoke:
"It's here."
Deidara, who had been about to grumble, immediately looked out over the water. But all he saw was a vast, dark, still surface — no change at all.
"I don't see anything… it's just black and murky."
"Fly up and look from above."
Deidara didn't hesitate. He quickly molded a large bird out of Explosive Clay, jumped onto its back, and soared high into the sky.
When he reached a certain height, Deidara's expression turned to pure shock.
The higher he went, the smaller everything below appeared — and suddenly he understood why he couldn't see anything from the shore.
That "massive shadow" actually covered nearly one‑third of the entire lake. Standing at the water's edge, it was impossible to notice.
Only from high above could you truly understand how enormous it was.
Deidara landed quickly.
"It's not a Cursed Spirit… I'm sure it's the Three‑Tails. From up there… it's absolutely huge!"
He was practically vibrating with excitement as he spoke to Sasori.
Sasori thought for a moment. "I recall your clay bombs are not affected by water, are they?"
"Exactly! I can blast it right out of the water! Then you can finish it off with a killing blow, Sasori‑san!" Deidara's eyes shone with enthusiasm.
"Then begin. I need a moment to prepare myself."
As Sasori spoke, he pulled out a scroll.
His puppet Hiruko was fine against ordinary enemies, but against something this massive, it was far too small and weak.
BOOM!
He summoned a human‑shaped puppet from the scroll — none other than the Third Kazekage, whom Sasori had defeated and turned into a puppet years ago.
It was the single most powerful puppet in his entire collection.
This showed clearly that Sasori did not underestimate the Three‑Tails' strength.
At the same time, Deidara flew back up into the sky on his clay bird.
He stuffed a large amount of explosive clay into the mouths on his palms and chewed rapidly.
Soon, he shaped it into a human‑sized figure, and with a wild laugh, dropped it from high above.
As it fell, the figure expanded rapidly and accelerated downward.
C3 · Number Eighteen!
"Art is an Explosion!"
"Haa!"
BOOM!!!
The moment it hit the water, a massive detonation shook the lake. Towering waves crashed against the shore one after another.
The destructive power of C3 was enough to wipe out an entire ninja village in a small country.
Immediately, a giant whirlpool formed in the center of the lake, followed by a roar that shook the earth itself!
Slowly, a massive creature emerged — resembling a grey mud turtle with three massive tails.
Although the C3 explosion hadn't caused any real physical damage, it had stunned and disoriented it completely.
It was exactly like someone throwing a water balloon straight at your head while you were sleeping — it didn't hurt much, but it was incredibly insulting and infuriating.
And anyone would lose their temper after something like that.
The Three‑Tails had been hiding quietly here for a long time… but now, it had no choice but to surface.
You could hear the sheer rage in its roar!
Deidara stayed focused on his mission. Now that the beast was out, he slowed his flight and rained a continuous stream of smaller clay bombs down onto the Three‑Tails.
But the creature was protected by an incredibly thick, hard shell. The bombs exploded harmlessly against it, leaving not even a scorch mark.
ROAR!
The Three‑Tails was furious. It looked at the tiny creature buzzing around in the sky above, throwing "dirt" at it again and again.
It opened its mouth and fired a thick, powerful jet of water straight upward!
____________________
For more advance chapters visit my patreon
patreon.com/kane45
Tier: 10$ Casual Reader - +20 Advance Chapter
20$ Intermediate Reader - +40 Advance Chapter
40$ Expert Reader - +80 Advance Chapter
Update: "Monday to Friday - Update 3 Chapters a Day"
"Saturday and Sunday - Off"