Chiyo had been staring intently at Sasori from the moment the barrier dropped. Her old, weathered eyes didn't waver, not even once. And Sasori—his puppet shell immobile and face emotionless—seemed to return the gaze just as intently. Though his body was hidden beneath layers of iron sand armor and puppetry, his focus was clearly locked on her.
Suddenly, Sasori's low, mechanical voice echoed from within his puppet body: "Deidara. Go fight somewhere else."
Deidara blinked in surprise. "Huh? Alright, yeah… got it, Sasori-danna," he said without arguing. Though surprised, he respected Sasori's seniority within the Akatsuki and didn't push back.
He reached into his clay pouch and tossed a chunk into the waiting maw on his palm. The mouth chewed with a squelching sound before spitting out a white, compact bird.
"Click!"
In an instant, the clay bird expanded and inflated, growing into a winged beast over two meters in length.
Deidara cast a glance at Gaara's lifeless body at his feet. "Heh. I'll take this with me," he muttered, and the bird's tail curled around Gaara's body with a practiced motion.
Then Deidara sneered and called out: "Hey, you! Blondie! If you think you're hot stuff, come after me—unless you don't care what happens to this corpse!"
With that, he leapt atop the clay bird, which flapped its wings and launched into the open sky through a crack in the cave ceiling.
Naruto didn't hesitate for even a second. "Get back here!" he yelled, bolting out of the cave after Deidara in a blur of movement.
Kakashi's eyes widened as he watched Naruto charge out. "Sakura, stay here and support Chiyo-sama," he ordered, already moving to follow.
But just as Kakashi leapt into motion, Naruto's voice rang out from above: "Kakashi-sensei! Please stay back! I'll handle this guy myself!"
Kakashi faltered mid-step.
The old Naruto would have never made such a call. But this wasn't the same reckless boy from two and a half years ago. This was someone who had trained under Jiraiya, who now had the power of Sage Mode and the Nine-Tails at his fingertips.
Could Kakashi ignore the confidence of a student who had come so far?
He sighed and muttered with a small smile, "Guess I'll give you that face, Naruto."
Sasori turned his head slightly, observing his new opponents—Kakashi, Sakura, and… Chiyo.
A flicker of recognition passed through him. "So… even you showed up, Grandmother."
Chiyo's expression tightened. "It's time I put an end to your puppeteer delusions, Sasori."
Meanwhile, far above the forest canopy, Deidara noticed only Naruto giving chase.
"Only one?" he said with amusement. "Tch. Arrogant brat. Thinks he can take me alone just 'cause he beat one of my bombs…"
Back inside the cave, Chiyo glanced sideways at Sakura. "That Nine-Tails Jinchūriki… you're sure he can handle the one who defeated the Kazekage?"
Chiyo's skepticism was understandable. Intelligence reports from the Sand Council had pegged Naruto's strength as roughly Jonin level, even if his chakra reserves were massive.
Sakura smiled confidently. "Don't worry, Granny Chiyo. Naruto's mastered Sage Mode."
"Sage Mode?" Chiyo blinked in surprise. "That… that's what Senju Hashirama used…?"
It was a name spoken with both awe and fear throughout the shinobi world.
"If it's the same mode, then…" Chiyo's thoughts trailed off, but she nodded to herself. "Then maybe he really can do it."
Sakura knew she probably shouldn't have revealed that information, but it wasn't just bravado—it was a strategic morale boost and a psychological blow against Sasori, who had no clue what Naruto was capable of.
"We end this quickly and go support Naruto," Kakashi said. He reached up and pulled his forehead protector back, revealing his fully matured Sharingan. The three tomoe spun ominously in his left eye.
Sasori chuckled. "Another Sharingan?" he said. "Just like Uchiha Itachi. This might actually be interesting."
Meanwhile, Naruto was hot on Deidara's trail, leaping from tree to tree at high speed, his eyes locked on the clay bird above.
He knew better than to let Kakashi follow him. Back in the original timeline, Kakashi had used Kamui during the pursuit of Deidara and collapsed afterward. If that happened here, Naruto would lose their most valuable support.
Not this time.
In the sky, Deidara glanced back. "Still coming, huh? Guess it's time I got serious."
He reached into his pouch again, fed another chunk of clay to his palm-mouth, and formed dozens of tiny spiders.
"Take this, Nine-Tails brat! Try dodging these!"
He hurled the spiders down toward the forest.
Naruto's eyes widened. There were too many of them to dodge—and they were clinging to the branches and leaves, waiting to explode.
"Detonate!"
"BOOM!"
"BOOM!"
"BOOM!"
Explosions shook the trees and sent flocks of birds flying in every direction. Smoke engulfed the forest floor.
Deidara grinned smugly from above. "Heh. Thought he was tough, huh? Guess not. One move and he's toast."
But as the smoke cleared, his grin vanished.
There, standing on an untouched branch, was Naruto—completely unharmed.
"What the—!?"
"I hit him! I saw it! Why the hell is he still standing?!"
Naruto didn't say a word. His orange eyes gleamed faintly, the vertical slits and swirling pigment marks of the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode glowing subtly across his body.
So fast… Deidara realized. He activated some kind of chakra armor at the last second?
Naruto raised one hand and made a familiar hand sign. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
In an instant, ten clones popped into existence.
Two of them darted in opposite directions to flank Deidara.
The remaining eight leapt high into the air, latching onto trees and launching themselves skyward, closing in on the clay bird like swarming wasps.
Deidara growled. "Tch. More of this shadow clone crap? Cheap tricks!"
He released another round of explosives, obliterating the clones with midair detonations.
"Boom! Boom!"
"Ha! Boring tricks from a boring kid!"
But then, he noticed something odd.
Naruto hadn't joined the aerial assault. He was standing below, completely still—hands pressed together, eyes closed.
Natural energy surged around him in a subtle vortex. His breathing slowed as the environment seemed to pulse with life.
Then, Deidara's eyes widened.
"Wait… are you transforming again? Some kind of… form change?!"
Below him, Naruto's eyes snapped open—this time a bright, fierce orange with horizontal toad-like pupils.
Sage Mode had returned.