"Hey, people of the Land of Dragons, check carefully. Don't come crying later, accusing us of Iwagakure trying to cheat you. We don't want another diplomatic conflict over this." Ganetsu urged the representatives from the Land of Dragons to inspect the contents of the sealed scroll, all while pulling the captured Kōtsuchi and his group closer to him.
After a thorough inspection, Ni and the other sealing experts confirmed that the chakra inside the scroll indeed belonged to the Four-Tails. Even Kisame, a master of chakra sensing, personally verified it before nodding in approval.
Unbeknownst to them, a few kilometers away, Kakuzu was lounging lazily, one hand propping up his face. Faint veins bulged at his temples as he reached out with his free hand and patted Pakura's cheek—the same Pakura who had been massaging his shoulders.
"Alright, you can go now."
"What…?" Pakura blinked, momentarily dazed. Over the past two years, she had attempted to assassinate Kakuzu countless times, only to fail every single attempt. Eventually, she had nearly given up. The only thing she could do now was pass information back to her village. Yet now, Kakuzu was suddenly letting her go? It was incomprehensible.
Kakuzu rose to his feet and glanced back at her with an indifferent smile, saying nothing more. For Pakura, this might just be the beginning, but Kakuzu wasn't interested in pursuing the matter further. He had more pressing concerns—namely, dealing with the deceitful tactics of Iwagakure.
"Those Iwagakure shinobi… They're all as cunning as that old bastard, Onoki." Kakuzu muttered as he strode forward. Just as he reached the entrance, Heisei Rokuno stepped inside.
"Lord Kakuzu, there's a kid outside demanding to see you. No matter what I say, he refuses to leave."
"Oh? That so?" Kakuzu's amused tone made Heisei Rokuno break into a nervous sweat. Lowering his head, he hurriedly continued his explanation.
"He claims to be your biggest fan and insists he won't leave until he meets you. But more importantly, he's a representative of the Iwagakure delegation, so I can't just drive him away."
"An interesting brat, then." Kakuzu smirked and walked out with Heisei Rokuno following behind.
Standing at the entrance, he saw the so-called "fan"—a boy around six or seven years old, with thick eyebrows, large expressive eyes, and a high ponytail of blonde hair. The most striking feature, however, was the mouths embedded in the palms of his hands. That alone made his identity obvious.
"Onoki's apprentice?"
"L-Lord Kakuzu, you actually know me?!" Deidara's eyes widened in excitement. In their original timeline, the two had worked together, but Deidara had never shown this much respect for Kakuzu. However, in this world, it was a different story. Here, Kakuzu was the boss.
"Didn't expect you to be so adorable as a kid." Kakuzu ruffled Deidara's hair, leaving the boy looking up at him with a confused expression.
"What do you mean, Lord Kakuzu…?"
"Heh, nothing. Just saying you seem like a good kid. Don't let those Iwagakure elders corrupt you with their lies and deceit."
Hearing this, Deidara surprisingly didn't argue. Instead, he nodded enthusiastically.
"Yeah, yeah! Lord Kakuzu, you're absolutely right! I've had enough of those old geezers in my village. They keep imposing all these rules on me—it's infuriating!"
Kakuzu nodded in satisfaction. This kid was born to be a rogue ninja. He could've lived a peaceful life, inherited the title of Fourth Tsuchikage, and spent his days playing with clay in his office. But no, he had to dedicate himself to "art." Truly a remarkable young man.
"Deidara, was it? What brings you here?"
"Oh, right!" Deidara smacked his forehead and pulled out a small sealing scroll from his pocket.
"Lord Kakuzu, let me tell you—those old men in my village are scheming bastards. Not just my teacher, Onoki, but also Akatsuchi's father, Ganetsu. He's just as deceitful! The scroll they gave you does contain the Four-Tails' chakra, but there's a hidden failsafe inside. In exactly one day, the seal will trigger a self-destruction jutsu, ensuring that Ryūgakure suffers heavy losses."
"Here! This scroll contains the real Four-Tails' chakra. I stole it. There are no traps inside, so you can use it without worry. Hehehe!" Deidara flashed an innocent grin.
"Not bad, not bad. You've done a great deed. I'm impressed, Deidara."
"Hehe, Lord Kakuzu, this is nothing. I just admire your art too much!"
Kakuzu: "...?"
When had he ever practiced Deidara's brand of "art"? What on earth was this brat talking about?
Deidara, however, was brimming with excitement.
"Lord Kakuzu, you don't understand! When you created that enormous Buddha statue, even though I was all the way at the border of the Land of Earth, I could feel the sheer power of your jutsu. I saw with my own eyes how your might shattered the ground and obliterated mountains. That level of destruction—pure, unrestrained obliteration—is the pinnacle of art!"
After hearing this explanation, Kakuzu finally understood. Unintentionally, he had gained himself a little fanboy.
"Very well, Deidara. Keep growing stronger. I hope that one day, I can witness your ultimate art."
"Really?! That would be amazing, Lord Kakuzu! I promise I won't let you down!"
With that, the seeds had been sown in Deidara's young mind. In the future, when he could no longer stand the constraints placed upon him, when he refused to accept the fate dictated by his elders, his restless soul would surely yearn for freedom. And when that time came, Iwagakure would lose one of its most powerful shinobi.
"I guess those Iwagakure fools got lucky this time." Kakuzu sighed as the veins on his face returned to normal. He signaled for Heisei Rokuno to send Deidara off before heading back inside.
Taking out the small scroll Deidara had given him, Kakuzu unsealed its contents. Inside was a genuine segment of the Four-Tails' tail. Though only a small piece, it still contained an incredible amount of chakra.
"Rokuno!"
"Yes, sir."
"Notify Tsunade and Hiruko. Have them record all necessary data. Then inform Ni to summon the Seven-Tails."
"Understood. I'll take care of it immediately."
Once Rokuno departed, Kakuzu leaned back in his chair, opening and closing his fist as he tested his strength.
The time had come to gather all nine Tailed Beasts once more.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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