Deidara's addition to the Akatsuki didn't bring about any significant changes to the organization. If there was one noticeable difference, it was that Aburame Shigeo found him particularly annoying.
Deidara's obsession with his so-called "explosive art" was relentless.
Whenever he had free time, he would pester Shigeo about his art, even once nearly damaging the equipment in the cell cultivation lab.
Fortunately, this situation didn't last long.
After extensive investigation, Sasori finally tracked down Orochimaru. Reluctantly, he took Deidara with him, and the two left the Akatsuki base.
While the "Art Duo" was busy hunting down Orochimaru, Kakuzu finally found a suitable partner—Hidan.
A devout follower of the Jashin faith, Hidan possessed immortality and could use his opponent's blood as a medium to transfer injuries to them through self-inflicted harm, ultimately killing them.
Before joining the Akatsuki, Hidan had already destroyed one of Kakuzu's hearts using this method.
Hidan's temperament was as bloodthirsty as Kakuzu's, with both being quick to take lives. Yet due to their unique abilities, they found it nearly impossible to kill each other, making them an ideal team.
With Hidan's addition, the Akatsuki's lineup finally mirrored the original storyline.
To mark the occasion, Shigeo personally handed over his "San" ring to Hidan, voluntarily stepping down to the position of "intern."
Though his status was lowered, none of the Akatsuki members treated him as an ordinary intern.
Not only was he closely tied to Nagato and Konan, but his sheer strength alone ensured that no one underestimated him.
Shigeo himself was unbothered by titles, focusing instead on cultivating Hashirama's cells while simultaneously working on Nagato's cell cultivation.
The Nagato cells were primarily used to synthesize blood insects. Apart from personal use, Shigeo sold the rest to Sasori, using the proceeds to support the expenses of the cell cultivation lab overseen by Ran.
Thanks to Shigeo and Ran's efforts, the cultivation of Hashirama's cells proceeded smoothly over the next four years, yielding remarkable results.
The cultivated cells eventually produced nearly 6,000 Wood-Style Parasitic Destruction Insects!
This brought the total number of these insects in Shigeo's body to 15,000!
Simultaneously, the first batch of unmodified Wood-Style insects began to die off, exceeding their theoretical 10-year lifespan by surviving 11 years.
For Shigeo, this was good news.
The death of the first batch allowed him to confirm his earlier hypothesis: the chakra consumption required for synthetic parasitic insects was directly related to their lifespan.
This meant the improved Wood-Style insects in his body were likely to have a lifespan of about 55 years.
Subtracting the 11 years he had spent in the Akatsuki, these insects would probably last another 44 years before starting to die off.
This ensured that his power would remain steadily on the rise for a long time.
"Now that I have sufficient strength to protect myself, it's time to leave."
With this thought in mind, Shigeo sought out Nagato with Konan and spoke candidly.
"Nagato, Konan and I have been away from Konoha for 11 years. It's time for us to return. We won't be coming back anytime soon, so take care of yourself."
"I understand," Nagato replied, seemingly unsurprised, even smiling faintly.
"When you handed your ring to Hidan, I already guessed you planned to leave. Honestly, I was about to suggest it myself."
Shigeo's expression shifted. "Is that because Obito is about to officially begin the Eye of the Moon Plan?"
"Yes."
Nagato nodded, a hint of worry flashing across his face.
"The Akatsuki will now focus on gathering information about the Jinchūriki of each village. Once that's complete, the hunt will begin, and we'll become the enemy of the entire ninja world."
"So you wanted to send us away preemptively?"
Shigeo laughed, shaking his head.
"It's pointless, Nagato. From the moment we joined the Akatsuki, we were already in too deep. Besides, there's no need to avoid it."
As he spoke, he adjusted his sunglasses with a smirk.
"In the end, strength decides everything in this ninja world. The victor becomes the ruler; the loser, the villain. It's as simple as that."
"Senior…"
Nagato froze briefly before breaking into a smile.
"You haven't changed at all. It seems you already have a solid plan. In that case, I won't say more. Konan, take care of our senior!"
"I will, Nagato. You take care of yourself too!"
Konan nodded, removing her "White Tiger" ring and handing it to Nagato before turning to Shigeo.
"Shigeo-senpai, let's go!"
"Sigh… let's go!"
...
Shigeo and Konan left.
Nagato publicly announced that the two were on a long-term covert mission and would not participate in Akatsuki operations for the foreseeable future.
With Nagato's backing, the organization remained calm, with no major uproar.
The happiest among them was Kakuzu.
Taking advantage of Shigeo's departure, he reclaimed the funding for the cell cultivation lab under the pretense of "budget constraints," feeling elated.
Motivated by his good mood, Kakuzu became even more diligent, dragging Hidan around to various black markets and bounty stations daily.
In contrast, Sasori was in a sour mood.
Without the supply of blood insects, his "Ten Thousand Puppet Performance Plan" had to be downgraded to the "Thousand Puppet Performance Plan," with no guarantee it wouldn't decrease further.
Deidara, too, was upset. Without someone to appreciate his "explosive art," he felt a sense of loneliness in his artistic pursuits.
The rest of the Akatsuki carried on as usual, unperturbed.
Unaware of these events, Shigeo and Konan had already returned to Konoha.
The village, now more prosperous after a decade of development, was bustling with shops and vibrant markets.
But Shigeo and Konan's attention was drawn to the Hokage Rock in the distance.
The monument, carved with the faces of past Hokage to commemorate their achievements, was now covered with colorful paint and graffiti, making the once solemn statues look ridiculous.
Shigeo immediately guessed who was responsible.
Before he could explain to Konan, the sounds of angry shouting and laughter reached their ears.
"Hey, Naruto! How could you do something so outrageous? You won't get away with it today!"
"Hahaha… You guys are too lame! You could never pull off what I just did. I'm amazing, aren't I?"
"Get back here!"
The chase unfolded as the voices and figures darted through the streets and rooftops, disappearing quickly.
Stunned, Konan turned to Shigeo.
"Was that… Naruto? Our godson?"
"Mhm."
Shigeo shrugged, flashing a big smile. "Energetic, isn't he?"
"Uh…"