Inoiki turned to Naruto, his gaze steady. "Are you feeling better now?"
Naruto nodded slowly, his voice low and laced with remorse. "Yeah… I'm really sorry. I just… I lost control." He clenched his fists tightly. "When I saw Gaara's body—when I thought I saw him explode with that bird… I lost it. I was already furious when I found out he was dead, but that just pushed me over the edge. The Nine-Tails... it started to influence me."
Inoiki's expression didn't shift. His next words were calm, but carried a weight that made Naruto blink.
"Who told you Gaara is dead?"
Naruto's eyes widened. "What do you mean?" he asked, his voice suddenly uncertain. "Didn't you see it? The giant clay bird that attacked you—inside its mouth was Gaara's body. I saw it with my own eyes. When that thing exploded… Gaara was still inside. There was no way he could've survived that."
Inoiki crossed his arms, his tone firm but steady. "Tell me, Naruto—did you actually see Gaara's body explode? Did you see any part of him flying through the air after that blast?"
Naruto opened his mouth but said nothing. His mind replayed the moment—how fast it had all happened, how thick the smoke had been.
"No," Inoiki continued. "Because that never happened. Do you think I'm reckless enough to charge head-on into an explosion without a reason? I could've easily dodged it—I saw it coming. But I didn't, because I knew something was off."
He paused, his voice softening slightly. "There was a body inside that bird. I sensed it. I stayed in range because I wanted to retrieve it—and I did. Gaara's body is safe. I moved it before the blast hit."
Naruto's eyes lit up with hope. "Wait—are you serious? Gaara's body… it's really safe?"
Inoiki didn't answer with words. Instead, he raised a hand. A faint glow of sky blue surrounded his fingers as he focused. From behind a cluster of trees, a figure slowly floated into view, surrounded by the same gentle aura. Gaara's body, unmoving but intact, hovered through the air under Inoiki's control.
With great care, it descended to the ground in front of Naruto and settled softly, like a feather landing on water.
Naruto fell to his knees, tears welling in his eyes—not out of sorrow, but relief. "Thank you… thank you so much."
Inoiki simply nodded. "He may be gone, but his body deserves dignity. And who knows… he might not be gone for good."
Naruto got back to his feet and stood quietly, his emotions caught between sorrow and relief as he gazed at Gaara's lifeless body. He was sad because one of his friends had died, but he was also relieved that his friend's body hadn't been destroyed in the explosion, as he had feared. He hadn't fully grasped what Inoiki meant by his last remark—but Kakashi had. His mind raced, trying to decipher Inoiki's words: "He might not be gone for good."
Before Kakashi could voice his thoughts, Inoiki turned toward them and said, "Now that my part here is done, I should be on my way. I can sense that Sakura, most likely with Lady Chiyo of the Sand, is engaged in a battle with another Akatsuki member. They're at a disadvantage—I need to assist them immediately."
With that, Inoiki stepped past Naruto and Kakashi, stopping just in front of Deidara. Without a word, he placed a hand on Deidara's head and used 'Paralysis Technique'. Instantly, Deidara's body stiffened—paralyzed, unable to perform a simple movement.
Inoiki then grabbed him by the collar and effortlessly leapt onto his floating sword.
Watching him prepare to leave, Kakashi stepped forward. "Are you taking him with you? He'll only slow you down. Leave him with me—I'll make sure he doesn't escape."
Inoiki shook his head. "I can't do that, Kakashi. On my way here, I was stopped by a strange man—someone unlike anyone I've ever fought. He can use some kind of space-time ninjutsu to travel instantly from one location to another. Worse, no attack can touch him. He becomes completely intangible whenever he's targeted. I'll explain more about him later, but not now."
He glanced down at the paralyzed Deidara. "If that man appears here, he'll take Deidara in an instant. You won't even have time to react. That's why I can't risk leaving him behind. I'm sorry."
Kakashi's expression hardened, but he nodded. "Understood."
Without wasting another moment, Inoiki leapt onto his floating sword, Deidara slung over his shoulder. With a burst of energy, the sword rose into the air and carried him swiftly into the distance, vanishing beyond the treetops.
Kakashi turned to Naruto. "We should regroup with Inoiki. He might need our support."
Naruto nodded silently, his expression still heavy with emotion. Gently, he picked up Gaara's body, cradling it in his arms with care. Together, he and Kakashi disappeared into the forest, heading in the same direction as Inoiki.
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