Ohnoki said irritably, "Isn't Kurotsuchi following Deidara around all day enough to cultivate their feelings?"
Kawasaki wagged his finger in disagreement. "At best, that's just being clingy. It's a long way from truly deepening their bond."
Ohnoki realized the truth in those words. Although Kurotsuchi orbited Deidara constantly, Deidara himself seemed to have little interest in her, preferring the company of his own clay. Therefore, if Kawasaki truly had a way to help the two of them grow closer, Ohnoki was more than willing to hear it.
"From the way you're talking, it sounds like you have a plan."
Kawasaki nodded. "It's simple, really. Think about how you yourself communicate with Deidara. Art is the most crucial part of his life. If you can appreciate his aesthetic philosophy, or even try to create something yourself, you'll find it much easier to find common ground."
Ohnoki considered this. "But that girl Kurotsuchi isn't skilled at making things like clay bombs."
"She doesn't have to make bombs," Kawasaki countered. "Remember, Sasori of the Red Sand was once Deidara's partner. Their aesthetic ideals were complete opposites—Sasori championed eternal beauty with his puppet mastery, while Deidara preferred transient brilliance. But that didn't stop them from becoming good partners. Try to spark Kurotsuchi's interest in creation itself. That way, they'll have something to talk about. Just think how perfect Iwagakure's Earth Release or Lava Release techniques are for creating works of art."
Hearing this, Ohnoki nodded thoughtfully. Indeed, the new techniques he had recently learned were well-suited for such practice.
A system notification sounded in Kawasaki's ear.
[Iwagakure Mission: Inheritance] complete!
Reward: Affinity +1 for any of the five nature transformations.
Kawasaki glanced at the prompt and unhesitatingly chose Wind Release. He had only been testing the waters with his suggestion, but he hadn't expected it to work so well. Did this mean he was fated to bring Deidara and Kurotsuchi together? He had originally planned to share some information about future crises with Ohnoki as a precaution, but it seemed that was no longer necessary.
With his objective achieved, there was no reason to linger.
"Alright," Kawasaki said, clapping his hands together. "That's the basic idea. You know Deidara better than I do, so I'll leave the specifics of how to capture his interest to you."
"Is the alliance document ready? It will be a great help to my clan's future."
Sensing Kawasaki's intent to leave, Ohnoki handed over the treaty he had prepared long ago. "It's been ready since last time. You're leaving already?"
Kawasaki summoned a crow, used his Sharingan to send a message, and then dispelled the summon. "My clan is in the middle of moving, and there's a lot to handle. I need to get back as soon as possible."
"Very well. I won't keep you then."
After a brief nod, Kawasaki vanished in a flicker of movement. Ohnoki pondered for a moment before rapping his knuckles on the desk and summoning an Anbu. "Go and bring Kurotsuchi here at once."
A Wood Clone's hand moved to help, and the character for 'Seat' materialized in its palm. It then slapped its hand onto Nagato's head. The moment it made contact, Nagato's chakra flared violently, but his reserves were so low that he immediately lost consciousness.
The Wood Clone retracted its hand, then clapped them together once more.
"Forget everything!"
Another character, this one for 'Open,' appeared on its palm. The clone pressed this symbol against Nagato's chest, right over his heart. At that moment, the seal on Nagato's chest began to glow brightly.
At the mountain cemetery, Obito felt a surge of elation as he watched Kazuma once again seal the energy of the empty Nine-Tails husk. This fake Nine-Tails contained such an immense amount of power; it would be an incredible asset for his future plans.
Suddenly, the curse mark on Obito's arm began to shift. He shot to his feet.
"This direction! It must be the Land of Whirlpools!"
"Black Zetsu!"
"I've already assessed the situation," Black Zetsu said as he phased up from the ground. "Nagato is undoing the seal. We must act quickly!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Obito warped into the Kamui dimension while Black Zetsu sank back into the earth.
Nearby, the Danzo-Zetsu, who had been enjoying a meal, slowly set its food down. It rose to its feet, its expression cold. It looked down at its hands, then frowned, its gaze sweeping over its own unclothed body, particularly the mismatched Rinnegan—one on the left, three on the right. After a moment of emotional turmoil, its expression smoothed into one of pleasure.
Looking at the food before it, it muttered, "Finish all of this. I will have physiological needs again soon."
"The Hidden Leaf Village? Hmm, Konoha..." The Danzo-Zetsu's face continued to shift through a series of expressions.
After crossing several mountain ranges, Obito finally reached his destination. He used the Mayfly technique to close the remaining distance, and it wasn't long before he arrived in the Land of Whirlpools. Feeling his target growing closer, Obito's expression turned serious. He slipped into the Kamui dimension once more to pinpoint the exact location before rematerializing.
As his body solidified, numerous runes with a bizarre aura instantly adhered to his body.
"What is this...!"
His face tightening with alarm, Obito immediately activated the power of his Sharingan, manifesting a Susanoo to protect himself and forcefully shed the runes. A series of explosions erupted, shattering the outer layer of the Susanoo but freeing him.
Taking the opportunity to become intangible, Obito finally got a clear look inside the cave. He saw two Nagatos standing there, one performing a jutsu on the other.
"What do you think you're doing, Nagato!" Obito bellowed. He saw that this Nagato's body was perfectly intact, a clear sign that this had been planned.
The second Nagato completely ignored him, continuing to follow telepathic instructions to release the seal over the original's heart. The vampire-like pattern over his chest was slowly fading.
Just then, Konan made a gesture, and the entire cave ceiling cracked open. Seawater poured in, carrying with it countless explosive tags that swarmed toward Obito. Konan, having transformed into a cascade of paper, reformed next to Nagato. The ground beneath Nagato's feet split apart, revealing a deep abyss that Obito began to fall into. The entire environment had become a weapon, with explosions erupting all around him.
Though he was falling, Obito's gaze remained locked on his target. Damn it! Did he really think he could escape my control?
As the clone's fingers touched the seal, it flared with light. At the same time, the seal over the original Nagato's heart also glowed, a sign of its imminent release. The Wood Clone watched with a grave expression.
"Begone!"
As if pulled by an invisible force, the flesh on Nagato's chest bulged outward until it tore open. The mark that had covered it vanished without a trace. Beneath, his beating heart was visible, slick with fresh blood.
After coughing up a mouthful of blood, Nagato's eyes fluttered open. He gasped for air, his body wracked with pain from the forced removal of the seal. But despite the coughing, a look of unprecedented relief spread across his face. He had finally broken free.