The last explosion faded into silence.
Smoke drifted through the shattered canyon, curling around the broken stone like dying breath. Kakashi stood in the center of the ruin, his chakra still burning faintly in the air. The Mangekyō glow in his eyes dimmed as the dimensional rift sealed itself behind him.
Where Deidara and Sasori had been, only scorched clay fragments and splintered wood remained.
The battle was over.
"Told you we'd get you back." Naruto knelt beside Gaara, exhausted but still grinning widely.
"They're gone. Not even chakra residue left." Sasuke glanced around once more, his black eyes narrowing.
"Then let's take the win and move." Kakashi exhaled slowly.
The desert wind picked up, scattering the dust and remnants of the Akatsuki's art.
…
The canyon glowed orange and violet under the dying sun. Wind whispered softly through the narrow walls of stone as Team Kakashi made their way toward Sunagakure's gate.
Gaara walked between them, one arm draped over Naruto's shoulder for balance. His steps were steady but slow, each one deliberate, as if reminding himself he was still alive.
Naruto smiled, steadying him when he stumbled. "Not bad for someone who just fought a clay freak and a puppet maniac."
"You exaggerate." Gaara gave a faint huff that almost passed for a laugh.
"Maybe," Naruto said, "but we still kicked their asses."
Ahead, the sandstone gates of Sunagakure came into view, warm light spilling from the watchtowers. Two figures waited at the entrance.
Temari was the first to move. Her fan clattered against her back as she broke into a run. When she reached Gaara, she didn't speak, she just pulled him into a fierce hug that said everything words couldn't.
"Welcome home, little brother." Kankurō followed close behind, still limping, arms wrapped in bandages, but his grin was wide.
Naruto stepped back, letting Gaara lean on them both. Sakura joined them, chakra already glowing faint green around her hands.
"Let me check him," she said softly.
Gaara nodded. Sakura's chakra light washed across his chest and shoulders. After a moment, her frown eased.
"Stable. He just needs rest."
Kakashi stood a little apart, watching this quietly. The desert breeze had cooled, the heat fading into something gentler.
Sasuke leaned against a stone wall near the gate, silent as ever. Dried blood still streaked his gloves, the last traces of Sasori's puppet core.
The Mangekyō had shown him too much this day. Power and collapse danced on the same edge.
He said nothing, but the look in his eyes spoke of resolve, and understanding.
…
That night, in a quiet guest room of the Kazekage's tower, Gaara sat propped up in bed. The room smelled faintly of desert herbs and polished wood. A small teapot steamed beside him, its scent calming.
The door slid open with a soft sound. Two of Sunagakure's elders entered, followed by a familiar figure, an old woman with white hair tied in loops, sharp eyes gleaming with mischief.
They bowed deeply, to Gaara first, then to Kakashi and his team.
"You've done more for this village than we can repay," one elder said.
"Then make sure it doesn't happen again. Protect your Kazekage." Kakashi waved it off, tone light but words firm.
He meant no insult, but the truth hit hard. The elders nodded quietly.
The old woman studied him with a smirk, resisting the urge to attack. "Hmm. White hair, sharp eyes… You wouldn't happen to be the White Fang, would you?"
"No. That was my father." Kakashi blinked.
"Ah," she said, grinning. "Same ridiculous hair though. Thought I was seeing a ghost."
"He's not that old, Granny." Naruto snorted from the side.
"Says the loud one." Chiyo rolled her eyes.
Gaara's faint smile broke through the tension. "I chose to go alone. I thought it would protect the village… but I was wrong."
"Thank you, all of you." His voice was low, steady.
Naruto stayed near his side as the elders bowed once more and quietly left. When the door closed, only the sound of the wind remained.
"You're not alone anymore," Naruto said softly. "Not ever again."
"I know." Gaara gave a small nod.
Sleep claimed him soon after.
…
The desert night stretched endlessly over Sunagakure. Stars shimmered above the rooftops, and the wind moved through the streets like a sigh of peace.
Kakashi stood on the highest tower, mask pulled down enough for the wind to touch his face. He watched the village lights flicker, tiny sparks of life against the vast dark.
Sasuke appeared beside him, silent at first. The moonlight painted both their shadows long and thin against the roof tiles.
After a moment, Sasuke spoke. "Is this the kind of path you want for me?"
Kakashi didn't answer right away. He watched the sand swirling faintly in the distance.
"No," he said finally. "I don't want you following anyone's path. I want you to walk beside me."
Sasuke looked down at his gloved hand, the one that pierced Sasori's core. The memory burned behind his eyes. "When you used that technique… when time stopped… what did it feel like?"
Kakashi's expression softened, a rare glint of honesty breaking through. "It felt like I finally stopped running. Just for a second."
Sasuke didn't respond, but his fists closed slowly—not in anger, but thought. Something inside him had shifted. He was beginning to understand.
…
Far away, deep beneath the earth, a shadow rippled across stone and root.
Black Zetsu emerged from a wall, his oily form twisting into shape. Before him, the ghostly holograms of the Akatsuki flickered one by one, their faces half-lit in eerie light.
Pain sat at the center, motionless. Konan stood beside him, wings folded like blades of paper.
Hidan's space was dark. Kisame's, empty. And where Sasori and Deidara once stood, only static shimmered.
"They're gone. Both of them. Crushed beneath the desert. Kakashi Hatake's power… has changed, greatly." Zetsu's voice slithered through the chamber.
For a long moment, no one spoke.
"Five rings lost." Konan's eyes narrowed.
"This is no longer a hunt, it's a war." Her gaze swept across the hollow circle.
"Maybe we should just invite Kakashi to join us, hmm?" At the edge of the projection, Tobi let out a nervous chuckle.
Pain turned his eyes toward him, voice colder than stone. "You're still wearing a mask, Tobi. Be careful, it might break."
The laughter died instantly.
Black Zetsu shifted again, his voice low. "We underestimated all of them. Hatake. Uchiha. Uzumaki. Together, they've become something else."
Pain rose from his seat, the rings in his Rinnegan glimmering faintly.
"Then next time," he said, "I'll go myself."
The holograms began to fade, one by one, until only Zetsu remained, half-fused into the wall.
His whisper lingered in the silence. "We should have ended the damned Copy Ninja before he became what he is."