In the end, Lady Junko decided to take a gamble. Despite her innocent-sounding name and seemingly naive demeanor, as someone raised in a noble household, she possessed a basic political acumen.
Why did these two mysterious individuals insist on bringing her along? It was obvious—they wanted to use her name. At the very least, she could serve as a figurehead ruler. But if she refused to go, and these two succeeded in their efforts, she would end up with nothing.
Junko didn't particularly care for power or authority, but Matsuzaka City had become her final hope after her family's tragic downfall—a hope for her parents, for her clan, and for all the beauty of the past.
Whoosh!
The wind howled past her ears. Standing on top of the Clay Bird, Lady Junko, an ordinary civilian, struggled to conceal her fear. She tried her best to keep her gaze forward, but her legs were still trembling after catching a glimpse of the dizzying height below.
"What's so special about this Zoey guy?" Deidara asked, his voice distorted by the rushing wind.
"His Earth Release techniques are exceptionally powerful, far surpassing those of an average jonin," Junko replied. She wasn't entirely ignorant, but as a non-ninja, her description was still somewhat vague.
"In fact, Zoey's strength is more than enough for him to thrive in the royal capital or other major cities. But for some reason, he chose Matsuzaka City. Because of this, we simply have no way to deal with him."
Perhaps recalling painful memories, Junko's expression and tone grew somber.
"Where in the city does Zoey live?" Deidara pointed toward Matsuzaka City below.
Junko cautiously leaned forward, but the exaggerated height gave her a constant sense of losing balance, as if she might fall at any moment.
"There!" Clutching Deidara's sleeve tightly with her left hand, she pointed with her right to a tall and imposing mansion below.
"That's the former lord's estate. Ever since Zoey killed my father, he's taken residence there and rarely leaves."
"Are there any innocent people inside the estate?" Deidara asked, clearly eager to act.
"No... no, they're all Zoey's subordinates. They oppress and exploit the citizens daily. None of them deserve to live," Junko replied, retracting her head. The overwhelming dizziness and weakness in her legs made her want to sit down immediately, but mindful of maintaining her noble demeanor in front of others, she reluctantly resisted the urge.
"Good! Then let's settle this in one go!"
Deidara's right hand mouth chewed up a piece of clay and spat out a spherical lump, which expanded with a poof into a size comparable to a bedroom.
Deidara didn't bother shaping it into anything elaborate. He simply controlled its size to ensure the explosion would cover the entire estate.
Junko caught sight of the mouth on Deidara's hand and couldn't help but show a subtle expression of distaste—an instinctive reaction shared by many women before her, including Kurotsuchi and Karin.
But her attention was soon drawn elsewhere.
"Are you planning to blow up the entire estate with your abilities?" she asked, deducing his intentions from his earlier performance in battle.
"Correct!"
"Art is an explosion! Hah!"
Boom!
"Zoey Shock Value +500" "Ryuki Shock Value..."
A few notifications about Shock Value popped up. Judging by the amount, Deidara could roughly gauge the strength of his enemy. In this sense, the system was practically a built-in reconnaissance tool.
"Haha! That was satisfying!" Deidara exclaimed, feeling a surge of joy after showcasing his art.
"It's... it's over? Just like that?" Junko couldn't believe it. The mortal enemy she had been powerless against was defeated so easily. It was almost identical to the earlier battle—a complete reversal in moments.
Deidara lowered the Clay Bird, circling over the now-ruined estate. Surprisingly, not a single survivor emerged from the wreckage.
"Could Zoey really be dead?" Deidara wondered aloud. Such an explosion might suffice for ordinary grunts, but it shouldn't have been enough to one-shot someone of Zoey's elite jonin caliber.
Moreover, based on the Shock Value gained, if Zoey had truly been killed, the amount should have been much higher.
"Uh-oh! Zoey probably escaped. There's a secret passage in the estate," Junko explained.
"Idiot! Didn't that girl already tell you? Zoey is an Earth Release user!" Sasori sneered.
"Even without a secret passage, he could still escape using Earth Release techniques."
"Damn it! I let my guard down!" Deidara slapped his forehead, visibly annoyed.
"Whatever. It doesn't matter. Lady Junko, please go reassure the panicked citizens immediately."
To ordinary people, the sudden destruction of the estate must have seemed like divine punishment. Naturally, it would leave them feeling frightened and uneasy.
"Oh, by the way, Brother Sasori, when the Akatsuki first established bases, where did the initial members come from?" Deidara asked curiously. He had no experience in this area.
"The first batch of members? Your art already blew them up," Sasori replied flatly.
"What?!"
As night fell, Matsuzaka City remained somewhat noisy after the day's upheaval. By dusk, Maruta and his group had made it to the city, providing moral support for the frail Lady Junko.
Although their strength was insignificant compared to ninjas, it was more than enough to impress ordinary citizens.
"Thank you all for your hard work!" Lady Junko expressed her gratitude to Maruta and his companions in front of the ruins of the estate. With Deidara and Sasori's intimidating presence, the transfer of power in Matsuzaka City went surprisingly smoothly.
The oppressed citizens, long resentful of Zoey, welcomed the return of the kind-hearted Lady Junko with open arms.
The next day, Lady Junko and Maruta visited Deidara and Sasori at their inn.
"Thank you so much!" Lady Junko said earnestly, bowing deeply.
"It's nothing," Deidara replied, waving dismissively as he busied himself with a pile of clay.
"I remember you mentioned wanting control of Matsuzaka City?" Lady Junko asked cautiously. Beside her, Maruta perked up, listening intently.
"Relax! We're not some evil organization. We just want to use Matsuzaka City as a base to establish a branch of our organization. For now, it'll only be responsible for gathering intelligence—nothing more."
"Really? I'll fully support your organization then!" Junko replied, visibly relieved and happy with the simple terms.
"It's not my organization. Brother Sasori and I are just members," Deidara clarified.
"What?!" Junko exclaimed in shock. To her, Deidara was already incredibly powerful. If he wasn't even the leader, then how strong must the leader be? And how powerful was this organization as a whole?
"Huh? What are you doing now?" Deidara asked as Maruta knelt down again, his forehead pressed firmly to the ground.
"Please let me join your organization! I want to become stronger so I can protect Lady Junko!" Maruta shouted earnestly.
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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