Chapter 121 – The Hokage's Pressure
"This...??"
As the puppet emerged—it was none other than the Third Kazekage, known as the strongest Kazekage in history.
But before anyone could react, the puppet was obliterated into dust—shattered like brittle glass by an unseen force.
Deidara and Sasori stood stunned, momentarily frozen. Kisame's body stiffened.
Only Jiraiya, Tsunade, and the Eight Tails—who had been casually watching—showed any hint of excitement.
To destroy the Third Kazekage puppet so effortlessly and cleanly...
There could only be one explanation.
The Fifth Hokage—Uchiha Yuta—had arrived.
Swish!
A few seconds later, Uchiha Yuta appeared in a flash of wind, Hokage robes fluttering behind him. He stood calmly beside Tsunade and Jiraiya, eyes fixed on the three members of Akatsuki with a quiet smile.
"Whew..."
Tsunade finally let out the breath she had been holding. She had been pushing through her fear of blood this entire time.
But now—
She had made up her mind.
After this battle, she would ask Hokage-sama for help. It was time to overcome her trauma.
"Lord Hokage, you're finally here..." Jiraiya said with relief, lowering the kunai in his hand. His voice held genuine warmth and trust.
"I've been watching them the whole time," Yao added suddenly, tossing aside his snacks and putting on a serious face.
"Hmph..."
Uchiha Yuta narrowed his eyes at the Eight Tails.
"Uhh…"
Yao shrank back slightly, quickly shutting his mouth and pretending to be invisible.
Yuta turned back to the Akatsuki trio.
"Leave them to me. Now then..." He smiled slightly. "Will you surrender? Or must I force you?"
"Surrender? Impossible..."
Suppressing his shock, Sasori, hidden within his Scarlet Amber shell, growled through clenched teeth. "You destroyed my finest creation. That's unforgivable."
"Tch."
Deidara took a deep breath, forcing down the rising fear. "Fifth Hokage... You're strong, I'll admit that. But we're not weak either."
"Oh?" Yuta raised an eyebrow, his gaze shifting to Kisame. "And you?"
Kisame froze.
Uchiha Yuta's eyes began to swirl—Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.
The pressure that followed was crushing. It wasn't just chakra—it was as if his soul was being pierced.
Kisame, who had never feared gods nor demons, suddenly hesitated.
He wanted to follow Deidara and Sasori's resolve—to fight.
But the deaths of Kakuzu, Hidan, Uchiha Itachi, and Jūzō flashed through his mind.
A cold sweat ran down his back.
Then—
None of them noticed.
An invisible force—pupil power—had already wrapped around Kisame like a binding seal.
Had it been any other day, Sasori or Deidara might have sensed something. But today? They were standing before a god.
"I... I surrender," Kisame said suddenly, breaking the silence.
"What...?"
Sasori and Deidara stared at him in disbelief.
"You're surrendering, Kisame?!"
Kisame threw aside the "Nan" ring from his finger and forced a grin. "The wise choose survival. I'm with Konoha now."
"You—!" Deidara began, but faltered.
He wanted to call Kisame a traitor.
But the moment he looked into Uchiha Yuta's eyes...
He shivered.
"I surrender too..." Deidara muttered through clenched teeth. "Damn it."
Sasori's rage exploded.
"You cowards!"
He wanted to fight to the end, but even he couldn't ignore the oppressive aura Uchiha Yuta exuded.
"...I surrender."
Just like that, the last puppet master fell in line.
"Seriously?" Jiraiya blinked. "That's it?"
Tsunade looked just as shocked. "They were ready to die moments ago."
Yao blinked in disbelief. "A little pressure and they folded like paper."
Uchiha Yuta smirked.
He had originally planned to kill them. But then he remembered—
These three were missing-nin from Kirigakure, Iwagakure, and Sunagakure.
If Konoha ever planned to unify the ninja world, these three could be incredibly useful. They knew the structure, weaknesses, and layout of their respective villages.
Their surrender wasn't a loss.
It was a massive gain.
"Wait..."
Tsunade and Jiraiya suddenly realized something, eyes wide.
"You're not just sparing them..." Tsunade whispered. "You're planning something bigger."
Jiraiya nodded slowly, his face grim. "The ninja world is about to change..."
And so—
With the surrender of three core Akatsuki members, the balance of power began to shift.
The god of the ninja world had made his move.
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