Published at 17th of September 2024 4:47 pm

Chapter 76 The Heart of Stone: 4 Unraveling Bonds

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The Akatsuki hideout was eerily quiet, the kind of silence that weighed heavily on the air. Deidara and Sasori had completed their mission, returning with Yagura, who now lay unconscious and sealed in a special chamber designed to suppress the power of the Three-Tails.

Deidara paced around the room, his fingers twitching with energy, clearly still excited from the battle. “That was a close one, un. He almost unleashed the full Three-Tails back there.”

Sasori stood near the chamber’s entrance, his expression unreadable as always. “We succeeded, but only barely. You should’ve shown more restraint.”

“Restraint?” Deidara laughed, shaking his head. “What’s the fun in that, un? Art isn’t about holding back. It’s about going all out, pushing the limits.”

Sasori said nothing, his gaze focused on Yagura’s sealed form. Though the mission had been a success, something about it didn’t sit right with him. The jinchūriki’s strength had been far greater than anticipated, and Sasori couldn’t shake the feeling that they had only just managed to scrape by.

The door to the chamber slid open with a quiet hiss, and a familiar figure entered—Pain, the enigmatic leader of the Akatsuki. His orange hair and Rinnegan eyes gave him an otherworldly presence, and his voice was calm but commanding as he spoke.

“You’ve done well,” Pain said, his gaze sweeping over the two Akatsuki members. “The Three-Tails will be a valuable addition to our plans.”

Deidara crossed his arms, clearly pleased with himself. “Of course, un. The mission went just as planned. Well, mostly.”

Pain’s eyes narrowed slightly, sensing the tension between the two. “Mostly?”

Sasori stepped forward, his voice cool and detached. “There were complications. Yagura almost lost control of the Three-Tails during the battle. If we hadn’t acted quickly, the situation could have spiraled out of control.”

Pain regarded them both in silence for a moment before nodding. “It doesn’t matter now. What’s important is that the jinchūriki has been captured. The sealing process will begin soon.”

Deidara shot Sasori a smug look, as if to say, See? I told you it was fine.

But Sasori wasn’t interested in gloating. He was more concerned with what came next. The Akatsuki’s ultimate goal—to capture all of the Tailed Beasts—was still far from complete, and with each new jinchūriki they captured, the risks grew higher.

“Deidara,” Pain said, turning to the blond artist. “You’ll be responsible for guarding the chamber until the sealing process is finished. Ensure that no one interferes.”

Deidara gave a mock salute. “Got it, un. I’ll keep an eye on things.”

Pain glanced at Sasori before turning to leave. “We’re one step closer to our goal. Don’t lose sight of the bigger picture.”

As Pain’s presence faded, the room fell back into its uneasy silence. Sasori stood still, his mind already turning over the events of the battle. Something about Yagura’s resistance had troubled him. The jinchūriki had fought with a desperation that hinted at something deeper.

Deidara, on the other hand, seemed unbothered. He leaned against the wall, hands behind his head, a satisfied grin on his face. “Guard duty, huh? Not exactly what I had in mind after such a great fight, un. But I guess it’s better than sitting around doing nothing.”

Sasori wasn’t listening. His thoughts were elsewhere, piecing together the fragments of the mission, the cracks in Yagura’s control, and the unpredictable nature of the Tailed Beasts. He knew the Akatsuki’s plan was grand and far-reaching, but he also knew that plans, no matter how carefully constructed, could unravel with a single mistake.

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Days passed, and the hideout remained quiet. Deidara took his post seriously, for the most part, though his boredom was beginning to show. Guarding a sealed jinchūriki wasn’t exactly his idea of excitement. He would occasionally glance at Yagura’s sealed chamber, hoping for some kind of disturbance—anything to break the monotony.

But the real disturbance was happening within Yagura’s mind.

Inside the chamber, Yagura was fighting his own battle. Though physically restrained, his consciousness was trapped in a storm of memories, haunted by the presence of the Three-Tails. The beast’s chakra pulsed through him, reminding him of the weight he carried, the burden of being a jinchūriki.

He had fought to keep control for so long. As the Mizukage, he had ruled over the Hidden Mist with an iron will, but it had come at a cost. The Three-Tails had always been there, lurking just beneath the surface, a constant reminder of the power he could never fully control.

In the depths of his mind, Yagura could feel the beast stirring, its voice echoing through the darkness.

You cannot resist me forever, the Three-Tails rumbled, its voice deep and ancient. Your time is running out.

Yagura gritted his teeth, struggling to maintain his composure. He had fought the Three-Tails for years, mastering its power, but the battle had taken its toll. Now, with the Akatsuki holding him captive, his strength was waning.

I will not give in, Yagura thought fiercely. I am still in control.

But the Three-Tails laughed, a low, rumbling sound that sent chills through Yagura’s mind. Control? You’ve never had control. You are merely a vessel, a cage. Sooner or later, all cages break.

Yagura’s heart pounded in his chest. He could feel the beast’s chakra pressing against the walls of his consciousness, pushing, probing for weakness. It wanted to break free, to unleash its full power.

But Yagura wasn’t ready to surrender. Not yet.

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Back in the hideout, Deidara stretched and yawned, clearly growing restless. “How long is this sealing process supposed to take, un? It’s been days.”

Sasori glanced at him from across the room. “Patience. The sealing process is delicate. Rushing it could cause the jinchūriki to lose control.”

Deidara rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. I get it. But come on, un, I’m bored out of my mind here.”

Just as Deidara finished complaining, a low rumble shook the hideout. The ground trembled beneath their feet, and a cold, oppressive chakra filled the air.

Sasori’s eyes narrowed. “Something’s wrong.”

Deidara was instantly alert, a grin spreading across his face. “Looks like our jinchūriki friend is waking up, un!”

The doors to Yagura’s chamber began to shake, the seals flickering as the jinchūriki’s chakra surged wildly. The oppressive presence of the Three-Tails was unmistakable, and it was growing stronger by the second.

Deidara’s grin widened. “Now this is more like it, un! Finally, some action!”

Sasori moved quickly, his puppet Hiruko already poised for battle. “We need to contain him before he breaks free. If the Three-Tails is fully unleashed—”

“I know, I know, un!” Deidara interrupted, already forming clay figures in his hands. “Let’s just blow him up before that happens.”

Sasori didn’t bother responding. They both knew the stakes. If Yagura broke free now, all their efforts would be wasted—and worse, the full force of the Three-Tails would be unleashed in the middle of the Akatsuki hideout.

The ground shook again, and with a deafening roar, Yagura’s chakra erupted from the chamber, shattering the seals that had been holding him in place. The air crackled with power as the jinchūriki’s form emerged from the smoke, his body partially transformed by the Three-Tails’ chakra.

His eyes glowed with the same primal energy that had nearly overwhelmed him during their battle. But this time, Yagura wasn’t just fighting to survive—he was fighting to break free.

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