The devil's desert hurricane swept through the vast dunes, kicking up clouds of golden sand.

  As the storm settled, two figures emerged from the swirling dust.

  They were the Akatsuki duo sent to capture Gaara—Deidara and Sasori.

  Deidara, his blond hair fluttering in the dry wind, gnced at a convoy of sand ninja transport vehicles rumbling in the distance. A gleam of mischief flickered in his eyes.

  "Tch, I really wanna blow that up," he muttered, cracking his knuckles. "Just imagine it—a sudden explosion, the fmes dancing in the air. Now that's true art."

  Sasori, concealed within his puppet body, responded in a ft tone. "Stick to the mission. We don't need unnecessary attention."

  Deidara scoffed. "You're way too careful. But seriously, what's with these weird vehicles in the Sand Vilge? I don't remember them having stuff like this."

  Sasori narrowed his eyes. "Neither do I. My informant in the vilge, Yura, mentioned some changes, but he didn't provide details. Seems like the Kazekage has been busy."

  Deidara smirked. "Guess we'll find out soon enough." He flexed his fingers, itching for some action. "Can't wait to see the look on the Sand shinobi's faces when they witness true artistry."

  The two pressed forward, meeting up with Yura at the rendezvous point. With a quick hand seal, Sasori restored Yura's sealed memories.

  "Take us into the vilge," Sasori ordered.

  Yura nodded obediently. "Yes, my lord."

  As they followed Yura, Deidara spotted a massive complex on the horizon and frowned. "Wait... isn't that the vilge? Where are we going?"

  Yura shook his head. "That's not the vilge. That's Faraday Industrial Park."

  Sasori and Deidara exchanged confused gnces as they took in the sight before them—towering walls reinforced with steel, strange crystal-like structures at the corners, and a massive, fortified compound unlike anything they had seen before.

  "What the hell is an industrial park?" Deidara muttered.

  Sasori dismissed it with a wave. "Doesn't matter. Our priority is Gaara. Let's move."

  Unbeknownst to them, every step they took was being monitored.

  Central Command Tower – Sand Vilge

  The command room was unlike anything Tsunade and Shizune had ever seen. It resembled the bridge of a futuristic warship, with a massive central screen dispying the infiltrators' movements. Smaller screens flickered with various surveilnce feeds, monitored by Anbu shinobi under direct orders from the Kazekage.

  At the heart of the room sat Mufasa, the mastermind behind the vilge's modernization. His sharp eyes watched the screens as he leaned back in his chair, exuding confidence.

  Tsunade and Shizune, seated beside him, were still trying to wrap their heads around the high-tech operation before them. Gaara stood nearby, arms crossed, his expression as unreadable as ever.

  "What... is this pce?" Tsunade muttered, unable to hide her astonishment.

  Shizune's eyes darted between the screens. "I didn't think Sand Vilge had anything like this..."

  Mufasa smirked. "Welcome to the future, dies."

  His voice snapped their attention back to the monitors. The feed showed Deidara and Sasori closing in on the vilge.

  "Has the industrial park entered a Level-3 alert?" Mufasa asked.

  An Anbu operative swiftly responded, "Yes, sir. All production has been halted, and workers have been moved to underground shelters. Defense systems are armed and ready."

  "And the vilge's arc shields?"

  "Area A's shields are fully deployed. Two-thirds of Area B's shields are in pce—estimated completion in two minutes."

  Tsunade watched the screens in awe as massive arc-shaped barriers slowly emerged from the roads, linking together to form a protective dome over the vilge. Her mind raced. So this is their defense system...

  Mufasa tapped his fingers against the armrest. "Are the cannons prepared?"

  "Yes, sir. All artillery is locked on target."

  Mufasa grinned. "Then let's have some fun."

  Deidara, Sasori, and Yura neared the outer walls of the Sand Vilge. The sight that greeted them was nothing like the vilge Sasori once called home.

  The iconic wind-carved boulders had been repced by sleek, towering windmill-like structures, their bdes turning silently in the desert breeze. The earthen tones of the old vilge were gone, repced by pristine white walls that gleamed under the sun. Behind them, massive crystal towers loomed, their purpose unclear. Along the perimeter, a network of unfamiliar machines hummed with energy.

  Yura gestured toward the defenses. "Those are automatic ninja turrets, chakra cannons, and energy barriers. The tall towers are called Light Towers—they're part of the vilge's new defense system."

  Deidara let out a low whistle. "Damn, Sasori. Have you ever seen anything like this?"

  Sasori frowned. "No. And that makes me uneasy. We should proceed with caution."

  Deidara huffed. "Tch. Sneaking in like rats? That's not my style. I say we bst through."

  Sasori shot him a look. "That would be reckless. We need to capture Gaara, not destroy half the vilge."

  Deidara rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Let's just get this over with."

  The trio approached the vilge gates. Unlike other shinobi vilges, there were no guards posted outside. The massive doors remained shut, as if the vilge had sealed itself off from the world.

  A mechanical voice crackled from within the wall. "State the password."

  Yura confidently replied, "Sledgehammer eighty."

  The voice responded, "Incorrect password."

  Deidara blinked. "Huh? What's wrong?"

  Back in the command room, Mufasa leaned forward, a mischievous glint in his eye as he picked up the microphone.

  "Oh? You want the password?" He chuckled. "How about a little art lesson first?"

  Mufasa's teasing voice echoed from within the vilge walls.

  All three outsiders froze.

  "Can they just change the password whenever they want?" Deidara muttered, his hands twitching with irritation.

  His frustration quickly turned into excitement. "You know what? Art is a bst!"

  "No," Mufasa's voice came through again, light and amused. "Art is Patrick."

  Deidara blinked. "What?!"

  Before he could argue, Sasori's sharp voice cut in. "Retreat. Now."

  Deidara hesitated but followed Sasori's gaze. The defensive weapons atop the vilge walls were shifting, their barrels locking onto them.

  "Tch, they spotted us," Sasori muttered.

  A sudden hail of kunai, shuriken, and explosive tags erupted from the turrets.

  Yura, caught completely off guard, was riddled with weapons before he could react. He colpsed instantly.

  Deidara and Sasori moved fast, leaping back just in time to escape the deadly barrage. Explosions followed, tearing apart the sand where they had just stood.

  Inside the command center, Mufasa watched the scene on the monitor, a smirk pying on his lips.

  "Didn't think it'd be that easy," he murmured.

  He turned his head slightly. "Gaara, get my controller."

  Gaara grabbed a gamepad from a nearby console and handed it over.

  Tsunade, seated beside Mufasa, frowned at the strange device in his hands. "What exactly are you doing?"

  Mufasa grinned. "Flying a pne."

  Tsunade raised an eyebrow but leaned back, crossing her legs. "Hmph. Whatever you say."

  On the main screen, Sasori and Deidara stood at a safe distance, their expressions grim.

  "We were tricked," Deidara spat.

  Sasori's tone was calm but firm. "It's clear they knew we were coming. We need to rethink our approach."

  "Tch, what's there to rethink?" Deidara scoffed. "I'll just draw them out myself."

  His hands worked swiftly, molding cy as he prepared for an assault. "This is just some overgrown defense system. They can't stop me."

  He spat out a lump of cy, which quickly expanded into a giant bird. He jumped onto its back as it soared into the sky.

  Mufasa gestured at the screen, grinning at Tsunade. "Now, that's a pne."

  Tsunade sighed, rubbing her temple. "That's a chicken."

  Mufasa ignored her. "Activate the Rift Generator."

  A nearby operator pressed a button, and energy surged through the vilge's defensive network. Two massive generators positioned within the vilge and its industrial district roared to life, casting a shimmering distortion field over the area.

  Up in the sky, Deidara frowned. The massive vilge below, once clearly visible, had turned into a vague, shifting blur.

  "What the hell?" He hovered above the strange shadowy field, frustration growing. "Wasn't there a huge vilge here just now?!"

  With no visible target, he clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Fine. If I can't see it, I'll just blow up everything."

  He shaped more cy and unched dozens of tiny, beetle-like bombs from his hand. They scattered through the air, falling like a swarm of insects toward the obscured vilge.

  Inside the command room, Tsunade's eyes narrowed. "Mufasa, aren't you going to do something?"

  Mufasa leaned back, watching the screen zily. "Rex. I want to see how well the defenses hold up first."

  As the beetle bombs descended, they nded atop the vilge's protective arc barriers and outer walls.

  BOOM.

  BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.

  Explosions erupted in rapid succession. Smoke and fire filled the sky, fmes licking at the edges of the rift's shadowy veil.

  From above, Deidara's lips curled into a satisfied grin. "That's more like it," he murmured, watching the fmes bloom across the ndscape. "True fleeting beauty—art at its finest."

  Inside the command center, an Anbu operative checked his readings. "All defensive barriers intact. No structural damage."

  On the screen, the aftermath of the explosion was visible—only small, bck scorch marks remained on the pristine, white arc barriers and walls.

  Mufasa smirked. "Not bad."

  These defenses were crafted using alloys from reforged weapons and enhanced with the regenerative properties of special chakra-infused materials. Strong, lightweight, and resistant to damage, they were designed for moments exactly like this.

  "Casualties?" Mufasa asked.

  "None."

  He nodded. "Good. Now, raise the air cannons."

  Tsunade gave him a confused look. "Air cannons? What the hell is that?"

  Mufasa's smirk widened. "Exactly what it sounds like."

  Tsunade folded her arms. "You're using air to attack?"

  "Of course. This is my vilge. I don't want random explosions messing up the pce. Air cannons are clean and efficient."

  On the screen, mechanical turrets began shifting, their muzzles tilting upward. They locked onto Deidara, who was still circling in the sky.

  A voice over the speaker confirmed, "All air cannons locked on target. Aiming at Area A. Secondary cannons positioned to cut off escape routes."

  Deidara, oblivious to the trap he had just flown into, continued hovering.

  Mufasa casually offered the controller to Tsunade. "Wanna take the shot?"

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