Chapter 60: Kazekage Rescue Mission [V]
Right outside the hideout...
"So, what's the game plan, Guy-sensei?" Rock Lee threw the question at Guy.
"Lee, it's pretty straightforward. First up, we gotta deal with this barrier," Guy confidently laid out the plan.
"And just how are we supposed to do that?" Tenten asked.
"First things first, we need to figure out what we're dealing with, right?" Sakura interjected.
"This barrier's no joke, judging by the amount of force it's withstanding," Sasuke observed, eyes narrowed.
"Exactly! So, the first step is figuring out what kind of barrier we're up against. Kakashi, you agree with me on this, right?" Guy looked towards Kakashi for affirmation.
"Absolutely," Kakashi replied with a nod.
While the team engaged in discussion, Naruto silently studied the seal on the boulder...
"What's it look like to you?" Chiyo turned to ask Kakashi.
"This is a Five-seal Barrier," Kakashi identified.
"Yeah, makes sense," Chiyo agreed.
"You know, I was thinking the same thing...!" Naruto suddenly spoke up, his voice carrying a mix of casual confidence and a touch of intrigue, "A Five-seal Barrier works by placing paper tags marked 'forbidden' in five strategic locations. Seeing as we've found one here, our job's to track down the remaining four," Naruto explained, a bit more laid-back yet insightful.
"Can't we just rip them off?" Rock Lee asked.
"It's not that simple. We need to take all five tags down at the same time," Kakashi laid it out clearly.
"All at once, huh?" Sakura pondered aloud.
"Exactly," Kakashi confirmed, "The barrier won't budge unless we remove all five tags together. That's the setup."
"Sounds like another round of hoop-jumping," Sasuke commented dryly, unimpressed.
Kakashi nodded in agreement, "We've only found one tag so far," he pointed out, indicating the seal before them.
"Which means we've got four more out there to find..." Might Guy concluded, the determination clear in his voice.
"Hey, Neji!" Naruto's voice cut through the air, casual yet full of confidence. Neji turned, a silent question in his eyes. "You've got the plan down, right?" Naruto's tone was easy, the sort of laid-back assurance that pulled others along.
"Got it," Neji responded, his gaze sharpening as his Byakugan flared to life. "Found them," he announced not a moment too soon.
"Show us where they're at!" Naruto urged, his demeanor unshakably cool.
"Alright, listen up. One's chilling on a boulder, about 500 meters northeast... The second's making itself cozy on a tree trunk by the river, 350 meters south-southeast... Third's hanging out on a cliff, roughly 650 meters northeast, and the last one's tucked away in a forest, just shy of 800 meters to the southwest. Those are our targets, the four forbidden seals," detailed Neji, his Byakugan leaving nothing unnoticed.
"They're a bit out of the way, huh? What's our cue?" Sakura chimed in, her voice laced with curiosity.
"No sweat. With that kind of distance...we'll just hit them up on wireless radios," Guy suggested, already fishing out the radios from his bag.
"Radios, nice! That's gonna smooth things over," Naruto agreed, his voice oozing the kind of cool confidence that made the plan seem foolproof.
"Smart move..." Kakashi acknowledged, his eye crinkling in approval.
"Alright, team. Let's keep in touch and follow Neji's lead to those tags!" Guy declared, rallying the group.
Meanwhile, in the hideout,
"So, ready to make our move? Sounds like it's getting lively out there, and we've got a mission to wrap up," the voice was calm, almost amused by the chaos outside.
"Right. Time to hit the road..."
"And what about our uninvited guests outside?" Kisame questioned, his tone edged with concern.
"Honestly, it's up in the air if they can even get in here..."
"Don't sell them short, Kisame. You of all people should know better," Itachi interjected, his voice calm yet carrying an undercurrent of warning.
"Fair enough... I'll give them that they're not lacking in strength," Kisame conceded with a chuckle.
"Sasori, Deidara, handle the welcoming committee outside, will you?" came the command, smooth and authoritative.
Deidara couldn't help but smirk, "Saw that coming a mile away."
"Just make sure the Jinchuriki comes back with us in one piece," was the added directive, clear and non-negotiable.
Itachi, ever the strategist, raised an eyebrow. "Just the two of them? You sure that's enough?"
"No worries, we've got this. We know our mission inside and out," Sasori replied, his voice dripping with confidence.
"Alright then, everyone else, you're free to go," came the dismissal.
"Let's roll out!" was the rallying cry as they began to make their exits. "We're off too," Kisame added, not one to linger.
"Sasori, what's the deal with the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki?" Sasori inquired, curiosity getting the better of him as Itachi maintained a stony silence.
"Come on, spill it," someone urged.
"If you ask me, he's the one you really need to watch out for. Underestimating him would be a mistake you won't live to regret," Itachi finally spoke, his tone grave, hinting at the gravity of his warning.
"And what's that supposed to mean?" Sasori prodded further.
"Does that mean he's the toughest of them all?" Deidara couldn't help but wonder aloud, but Itachi had already left, his silence more telling than words.
"That just cranks up the excitement to meet this Nine-Tails Jinchuriki," Deidara mused, an eager glint in his eye.
Meanwhile, outside the hideout...
"If it's a race against time, our squad's got this in the bag," Guy confidently stated.
Naruto chewed on the thought, "I could argue, but I'd rather be here for the showdown with the Akatsuki. Let's keep it this way," he mused silently.
"Sounds good to me," Naruto voiced, his focus unwavering.
"Lee, you're on the northwest forest," Guy directed.
"Understood, Guy Sensei!" Lee's enthusiasm was palpable.
"Neji, the northeast boulder is yours," Guy continued.
"Consider it done," Neji affirmed.
"Tenten, you take the south-southeast," Guy turned to Tenten.
"Got it," Tenten confirmed, ready as ever.
"And I'll tackle the northwest cliff. Bet it's the trickiest one to handle," Guy concluded.
"What's our channel?" Kakashi inquired, practical as ever.
"174," Guy responded.
"Roger that," Kakashi acknowledged.
"I'm all set with my wireless," Tenten announced, making final adjustments.
"Same here," Neji added, his gear ready to go.
With that, Guy rallied his team with a final cheer, "Spread out!" And just like that, Neji, Tenten, and Lee dispersed to their respective targets, each one determined to succeed.
Pakkun, the small but astute ninja hound, sensed the gravity of the moment. "Well, it's time for me to hit the road. No point in sticking around if I'm just going to be underfoot," he remarked, his voice tinged with a mix of duty and regret.
"Thanks, Pakkun. Stellar work as usual," Kakashi acknowledged, gratitude evident in his tone.
"Alright then, catch you all on the flip side!" With that, Pakkun disappeared in a small cloud of smoke, leaving the team to their thoughts and the task ahead.
Within the dimly lit confines of the Akatsuki hideout, the atmosphere was charged with anticipation and resolve.
"I leave the rest in your capable hands," came the order, authoritative yet imbued with trust.
"Not a problem, we've got this covered," Deidara responded, his confidence unshaken.
"I'll be awaiting your successful report," were the parting words before the figure departed, leaving Deidara and his companion to their mission.
--
Meanwhile, Team Guy was in motion, each member making their way to their designated locations with a shared sense of purpose.
"Now, let's go over the mission one more time," Guy began, his voice carrying the weight of their responsibility. "The four of us will stand by once we locate our tags. Once everyone is in position, we'll remove the tags simultaneously on my command. Understood?"
"Understood!" Rock Lee responded, his enthusiasm undimmed.
"Remember, Team 7 will be doing the same with their tags. By doing this, we'll deactivate the Five-Seal Barrier," Guy continued, ensuring every detail was clear.
"The instant the barrier is down, we move to demolish the boulder blocking the entrance. That will be our cue to storm in... and rescue Gaara-kun," Kakashi added, laying out the final piece of their strategy.
After a little while,
"Neji here... I'm all set," Neji casually mentioned, close to the tag.
"Got mine too. Be there in a jiff," Guy chimed in.
"Mine's secured as well!" Tenten added with enthusiasm.
"Neji!" Rock Lee shouted, struggling to spot his tag. He sought Neji's help, who coolly assisted him in finding it again.
"Alright, got it. This is Lee, I'm good to go!" Rock Lee declared.
"Kakashi, how are things on your end?" Guy inquired.
"We're set, just give us the word," Kakashi responded.
"So, who's gonna do the honors?" Sasuke threw in from the side.
"I'm on it!" Naruto jumped in, "Piece of cake," he added, oozing with a laid-back confidence.
"Okay, team! We take the tags off on three," Guy directed, ready to kick things off. "And... go!"
"One..."
"Two..."
"Three..."
Guy led the countdown, and in perfect harmony, they all removed their tags.
"Now, Naruto!" Kakashi signaled.
With a smirk, Naruto announced, "Cursed Technique Reversal: Red," channeling a bit of flair as he conjured a red orb at his fingertip and hurled it towards the boulder. Kakashi made a swift dodge as the orb collided, shattering the boulder to bits on the ground.
"Looks like we nailed it..." Guy mused, standing where his tag once was.
"What in the world...?!" Rock Lee gasped, eyes wide as an unexpected formation began nearby.
As the boulder crumbled away, it cleared a path for Team 7 to make their entrance into the hideout...
As they entered, the hideout first thing they saw was Gaara's body laying in the ground as two people wearing the Black cloak with red clouds were sitting above his body.
[A. N: Thanks for reading, drop Powerstones that will help a lot and drop reviews if you like the story and add to your library]
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone