The sun rose, the moon set—it was a brand-new day.
The beautiful girl with short black hair woke from her sleep, pushed open the window, and looked into the distance with a smile. "What a beautiful day."
"I wonder how Deidara is doing. Grandpa said he got out of the Iwagakure prison more than two weeks ago, but he's been studying in the archives. He should be done by now."
"Hmm~ Should I go see him? But Deidara made me angry last time, and he still hasn't apologized!"
The black-haired girl was Kurotsuchi. She hesitated, conflicted about whether she should go find Deidara.
But very quickly, she didn't have to worry about it anymore.
Because a second sun suddenly appeared in the sky!
All the villagers who had just woken up froze. Together, they looked toward the defensive mountain range in the northwest.
There, a new sun had risen—blindingly bright, three times more dazzling than the real one due to its proximity!
"What's going on? Why are there two suns in the sky?!"
"You idiot, that's another explosion from that scoundrel Deidara!"
"What?! Then why—"
That confused villager was about to ask, Why is the explosion so faint? But before he could finish, a shockwave blasted through the village like a hurricane—sending pedestrians flying and scattering debris everywhere. The streets became a chaotic mess.
The booming explosions continued endlessly, and even the ground trembled beneath their feet.
Only after a long while did the storm subside.
Tsuchikage Ōnoki flew out of the Tsuchikage Building mid-rant, hurling curses at Deidara. Without another word, he flew toward the explosion site.
Two seconds later, a giant Earth Release construct rose from the northwest.
Earth Release: Golem Technique!
This Ninjutsu combined offense and defense. A massive clay golem was expelled from the user's mouth, and once formed, it had the durability to withstand Exploding Clay.
The moment the technique appeared, everyone shivered: Oh no... Tsuchikage-sama is furious. Can Deidara survive this one?
Boom! Boom! Boom!
After several thunderous strikes, Deidara lay battered and bloodied on the ground. His chest still moved faintly—proof he was, miraculously, still alive.
With his last breath, he shouted, "Art is an explosion, Katsu! Hahahahaha~"
Ōnoki's expression darkened. This traitorous disciple… there was no saving him.
In the end, Ōnoki helplessly dragged Deidara back to the Tsuchikage Building.
Inside the office, Akatsuchi and Kurotsuchi were already waiting.
Seeing Deidara bruised and swollen, being hauled in like a ragdoll, Akatsuchi struggled to hold back laughter—while Kurotsuchi immediately burst out laughing.
"Hahaha! Deidara, you got beat up by the old man again!"
Deidara's face turned red. He stiffened his neck and snapped, "What do you mean beat up?! This was a massage. For an artist like me, this is called physical tuning, hm!"
He then rambled off a list of outrageous complaints—like "Tsuchikage old man is dishonorable," and "He ambushed a nine-year-old when I wasn't looking."
Even Akatsuchi couldn't help but laugh. The office was filled with an oddly cheerful atmosphere.
Ōnoki's beard twitched in anger. He glared at Deidara, then flew to his desk, sat down, and pointed at him with a trembling finger.
"You little brat! Iwagakure can't contain you! You're lawless! You're going on a mission tomorrow—get out!"
"A mission? Pfft. I, Deidara, afraid of that? As if."
Ōnoki was too furious to speak. He yanked open a drawer, pulled out a document, and slammed it onto the desk.
Kurotsuchi leaned in, curious. "Old man, what's the mission?"
"A suspected Konoha spy infiltrated the village. He killed three Anbu and escaped, heading toward Grass Ninja Village. You three are to pursue him. Capture him alive if possible—but if he's too dangerous, kill him on the spot!"
Ōnoki's tone turned cold and serious.
All three disciples immediately understood the gravity of the mission.
"This file contains the investigation data from last night's Anbu report. Follow these leads and intercept him before he leaves the Land of Earth!"
Ōnoki slid the document across the desk toward the three of them.
Akatsuchi took it first, read through it, then passed it to Kurotsuchi, who in turn handed it to Deidara.
Deidara glanced at it and immediately yelled, "Is this a joke?! You give me a scrap of cloth with half the scent gone and no clue what the spy looks like—and expect me to track him across the entire country?! Hey! Old man! Is this your revenge on me?!"
"Ahem…" Even Ōnoki looked slightly embarrassed. He cleared his throat awkwardly and replied,
"Yes, it's… difficult. But the village considered that and assigned a senior Jōnin with long-standing Anbu experience as your squad leader. That should make things easier, right?"
"He'd better help us find this guy. If not, I'll blow up the entire Land of Earth until I do," Deidara growled, eyes flashing.
"Insolent brat, Deidara, you—!"
Ōnoki slammed his hand on the desk and stood up, sputtering with rage—before ultimately closing his eyes and pointing toward the door.
"GET. OUT."
"Tch." Deidara turned and left.
Akatsuchi and Kurotsuchi exchanged a look, bowed to the Tsuchikage, and followed.
Before they exited, Ōnoki called out, "Akatsuchi—keep an eye on Deidara during the mission. Don't let him cause trouble."
Akatsuchi nodded seriously. "Understood. As his senior, I'll keep him under control."
"Mm." Ōnoki felt slightly reassured. Akatsuchi wasn't the strongest of the three, but he was dependable—strong enough to stop Deidara if needed.
Deidara exited the Tsuchikage Building and headed straight for the village gate. He was eager to resume Wind Release training—essential groundwork for mastering Dust Release later. There was no time to waste.
"Wait for me, Deidara!"
Kurotsuchi caught up and leapt onto his back, clinging tightly.
Deidara choked from her sudden "hug" and rolled his eyes, nearly suffocating. He grabbed her arms and forcefully twisted his waist—
Deidara Style: Shoulder Throw!!
Bang!
Kurotsuchi hit the ground hard, landing on her backside with a loud thud. She was clearly shaken.
"Deidara, are you nuts?! Waaahhh…"
She burst into tears on the ground—crying so sadly that anyone watching might feel genuinely heartbroken.
Deidara, reckless as he was, actually cared for Kurotsuchi. Seeing her cry for real, he panicked and started wiping her tears.
"Kurotsuchi, you okay? I didn't know it was you! I thought some crazy villager was choking me!"
Kurotsuchi sobbed, her face soaked with tears. She didn't even want to look at him.
Deidara, whose brain was basically made of bombs, had no idea how to comfort a girl. He started sweating nervously.
"Don't cry, Kurotsuchi! I'll do whatever you want today, okay?! The whole day is yours!"
It was the only idea he had. Usually, she wanted to play and he'd always make excuses. But this time, he'd surrender.
Kurotsuchi sat up, face buried in her knees, peeking up at him with tearful eyes. "Really?"
Deidara nodded seriously. "Of course. I, Deidara, never go back on my word!"
"Yay!" Kurotsuchi jumped to her feet and clung to Deidara again like a sloth.
"You tricked me?!" Deidara was stunned.
Now she was smiling sweetly, not a trace of tears left. It was all an act.
She narrowed her eyes mischievously. "Deidara, is your brain filled with gunpowder? I'm a ninja! You think your pathetic shoulder throw would make me cry? Keep dreaming!"
"Damn it!" Deidara gritted his teeth. He'd actually been played by a little girl.
He tried to pull her off and leave.
"You're not planning to break your promise, are you?" Kurotsuchi asked sternly, hands on her hips.
Step.
Deidara froze, trembling with frustration. He wanted to walk away, but as an artist, he couldn't go back on his word.
"Hmph…"
He turned around, took a deep breath, and forced a terrifying smile. "How could I? I, Deidara, never go back on my word."
End of the Chapter.