Inside a sealed chamber, the last five members of Akatsuki gathered together.
Nagato no longer needed to rely on Pain's bodies to move—his legs, implanted with White Zetsu cells by Obito, had finally regained mobility.
With the war imminent, he chose to accept Obito's assistance.
Zetsu had already split apart; only Black Zetsu stood in the chamber now.
As for Deidara, he leaned against the rocky wall with arms crossed, glaring resentfully at Obito from the corner of his eye.
He was now the last true survivor of Akatsuki. But when Obito revealed to him his "Uchiha Madara" identity, it was something Deidara couldn't accept.
After all, he had once been humiliated by Itachi, shaken to the core until his very concept of art wavered—since then he had grown to despise the Sharingan.
When he discovered Obito's "true identity," he almost blew himself up right there. If not for Obito's genjutsu restraining him, Deidara would probably already be wandering the battlefield as an Edo Tensei corpse.
The thought of once again being caught in a Sharingan genjutsu only fueled his anger. He had believed his left eye was well-trained against illusions—yet before the Sharingan, he was still powerless.
He let out a harsh snort.
"To think you tricked me, pretending to be Tobi… Uchiha really are cunning… hm!"
Obito, of course, heard Deidara's complaint, but pretended not to. He turned his head and addressed him instead.
"Deidara, why don't you deliver a little 'gift' to the Allied Shinobi Forces this time? What do you say?"
"I don't take orders from an Uchiha… hm!"
Deidara turned away, unwilling to even look at him.
Obito sighed inwardly. In his eyes, Deidara was just a rebellious brat—likely Tobi's influence. Try as he might, Obito simply couldn't bring himself to be angry at him.
So he cast a look toward Nagato, gesturing for him to speak instead.
Nagato said quietly,
"Deidara, don't you want to show the Allied Shinobi Forces what true art looks like? A battlefield is the perfect stage for your art."
The moment "art" was mentioned, Deidara's eyes lit up.
"Hmph! Of course I'll show them what real art is! Too bad Sasori-senpai isn't here…"
For once, he didn't add his habitual "hm" at the end. His face dimmed with sorrow. Different as their artistic philosophies had been, Deidara had respected Sasori deeply.
Suddenly, Obito spoke.
"Don't worry. Sasori will see your performance this time."
Deidara froze, staring at Obito in shock.
"Nani? Sasori-senpai is… but he's already…"
Obito's lips curled into a thin smile.
"There's a technique called Edo Tensei. It can bring the dead back to the living world. Soon enough, you'll be able to meet Sasori again."
"There's actually a jutsu like that? Incredible! This time, I'll definitely show Sasori-senpai what real art means… hm!"
The moment he learned Sasori could "return," Deidara looked like he had been injected with raw energy—restless, excited, almost vibrating with life.
Having coaxed him into compliance, Obito nodded in satisfaction. His personality had shifted from the dark, brooding man he once was. The old him would never have wasted words on Deidara.
Just then, the chamber doors opened.
Kabuto, cloaked in his hood, stepped inside. Four others followed at his back:
A bandage-wrapped man.
A muscular, dark-skinned warrior.
A middle-aged man with a neat mustache.
And one who looked uncannily similar to Gaara.
The sight of the bandaged man made Deidara jolt, his expression shifting into shock.
"You… you're the Second Tsuchikage, Mū!"
Once a shinobi of Iwagakure himself, and the final student of the Third Tsuchikage Ōnoki, Deidara had, of course, seen portraits of Mū.
Nagato's expression grew solemn as his eyes examined the man. Then his gaze shifted toward the other three.
If one of them truly was the Second Tsuchikage, then the identities of the remaining three were anything but ordinary.
Obito's voice turned low.
"Kabuto, aren't you going to introduce these people you've brought?"
Kabuto smiled faintly, first offering a polite nod of greeting to Nagato and the rest. Then he stepped aside, gesturing to the four.
"Since Deidara already recognized the Second Tsuchikage, I won't repeat it. This one is the Third Raikage. This one is the Second Mizukage. And this one… the Fourth Kazekage."
Though they all already knew Edo Tensei could "revive" the dead, seeing it firsthand left Nagato and the others stunned.
The four resurrected Kage stood with dark, solemn faces. Kabuto's twisted sense of humor ensured that, though they had no control over their bodies, their minds and consciousness remained intact.
The Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, glanced around the chamber. The moment his eyes landed on the massive Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, his expression hardened. The other three Kage wore the same grave look.
Rasa narrowed his gaze at Kabuto.
"What are you scheming, dragging us back from the Pure Land?"
Kabuto chuckled softly.
"Why, to have you fight in a war for me, of course. Surely you'd like to see how your successors are doing?"
The Kage's expressions shifted instantly. The Third Raikage's body trembled, straining to break free of Edo Tensei's control. He poured all his might into it—yet no matter what he did, he could not reclaim his body.
The other three also resisted in their own ways. But one after another, their efforts failed.
Still, they were Kage—ninja of unmatched strength and unbreakable will. Their struggles alone made Kabuto feel a flicker of unease.
To be safe, he drew several kunai tagged with talismans and stabbed them into the backs of their heads.
The Kage's eyes glazed over, and they fell silent, motionless.
Obito glanced at them, then asked,
"Only these four?"
Kabuto feigned surprise.
"What, not enough for you?"
"Hmph. You know what I mean. Did you use Edo Tensei on that man?"
"Oh? You mean Uchiha—"
Before he could finish, Obito's eyes flared crimson. The chamber instantly filled with a suffocating killing intent.
Kabuto quickly raised his hands in mock surrender.
"No need to get so worked up. I haven't used Edo Tensei on that one. Someone of that level is best saved for a final appearance."
Nagato, listening quietly, was puzzled. Who could possibly be more important than four resurrected Kage?
And Kabuto had mentioned… Uchiha.
His gaze shifted toward Obito, full of unspoken meaning, before he finally turned away.