"Hey! Why do you keep kowtowing for no reason?!" Deidara looked at Maruta with a speechless expression.
"Please, take me as your disciple!"
"I will work hard to become stronger!" Maruta remained kneeling on the ground, his voice loud and determined.
"Alright, fine. From now on, you can work at the branch organization in Matsuzaka City. But becoming stronger is something you'll have to figure out on your own—I can't teach you anything." Deidara waved his hand dismissively, not wanting to get entangled with this troublesome kid. If he refused, Maruta would undoubtedly pester him endlessly.
"Yes! Thank you, sir!" Maruta lifted his head, his face filled with excitement and gratitude, tears streaming down his cheeks.
Deidara was speechless. Was this really necessary?
Deidara and Sasori had been staying in Matsuzaka City for nearly half a month. Originally, they were waiting for Nagato to send reinforcements from other branches, but instead, a group of uninvited guests arrived first.
Under the cover of night, a group of ninja silently infiltrated Matsuzaka City. Leading them was Zoey, the man who had previously fled. His face was gloomy, his figure slightly plump, and he had the kind of appearance that immediately made people think, This guy must be up to no good.
Behind him were several ninja wearing headbands bearing the Uzumaki swirl symbol. These were mercenaries Zoey had hired from Konoha at a high price. Considering the strength of his opponents, Zoey had issued an S-rank mission and had even sacrificed half of his fortune to fund it.
But to Zoey, it was all worth it. As long as he defeated those two detestable mysterious ninja and regained control of Matsuzaka City, he could easily squeeze double the money out of the local populace.
"Konoha ninjas, be careful. Those two mysterious ninja are incredibly strong!" Zoey warned. Of course, he wasn't doing so out of kindness—he just didn't want his money to go to waste.
"Relax! We're plenty strong!" one of the Konoha jonin replied arrogantly. To him, a place like the Land of Rivers couldn't possibly have any formidable ninja. The locals were probably just ignorant.
"Seito! You can't let your guard down in ninja battles!" the team leader reminded him.
"Kanade, use your Byakugan to scout ahead," the leader added after giving Seito a brief reprimand.
"Yes! Byakugan!"
Veins bulged prominently around Hyuga Kanade's temples, giving her a somewhat eerie appearance, but no one present was fazed. After all, the Byakugan offered unparalleled advantages in reconnaissance, and no one would forsake its use over such a minor detail.
"What do you see?" someone asked impatiently when they noticed Kanade frowning.
"Very strong! Very strange!" Kanade used two concise descriptors.
"Explain, Kanade," the leader prompted.
"Yes, Captain Tendo!" Strictly speaking, they weren't a traditional ninja squad, but for the sake of mission coordination, Sarutobi Tendo had been designated as the temporary leader due to his exceptional strength.
"Their chakra levels are incredibly high, but the strongest one is very peculiar. Their chakra is concentrated entirely in their heart—there's no chakra response anywhere else in their body. It's as if only their heart exists," Kanade explained.
"How strong are they?" Seito asked.
"Far stronger than Captain Tendo. Even stronger than Kakashi," Kanade replied, offering a familiar point of reference.
This revelation made everyone uneasy. Kakashi was already considered one of the strongest beneath the Kage level. If their opponents were even stronger than him, could it mean they were facing someone with Kage-level strength?
They had assumed that an S-rank mission in the Land of Rivers would be relatively low in difficulty. How had such a formidable enemy appeared?
"Hey! You're not scared, are you?" Zoey asked anxiously.
"Don't worry. We'll complete the mission," Sarutobi Tendo replied. Though he didn't think much of their employer, basic respect was still necessary.
"Shikun, you'll start by using your insects. If we're exposed, Seito, Kanade, and I will engage them directly. Rin, you're the medical ninja—stay in the back," Sarutobi Tendo laid out the plan.
Everyone here had the skills to back up their confidence in taking on an S-rank mission. They were all from prominent families in Konoha, with solid ninja fundamentals and various secret techniques. Retreating in fear before even seeing their enemy would be utterly disgraceful.
Inside the inn, Sasori was tirelessly working on his puppets. With his puppet body, he didn't feel pain, hunger, or fatigue. Freed from the worries that plagued ordinary people, he filled his surplus time with his craft.
A small bug flew in through the window, unnoticed by Sasori. In this forested region, insects were common, especially during summer, the peak season for mosquitoes and other pests.
Moreover, Sasori couldn't feel anything, so he wasn't concerned about insect bites. He simply let them crawl over him freely.
What's going on?
From a distance, Aburame Shikun received some unusual feedback from his insects. They couldn't infiltrate their target's body, as if they were dealing with something other than flesh and blood.
"What did you find?" Sarutobi Tendo asked quietly.
"One of them has been successfully parasitized. The strongest one is immune," Shikun replied succinctly.
"In that case, we'll have to attack head-on. Shikun, stay back and look after Rin."
"Understood." Shikun took a few steps back, standing beside the lone female teammate, Tsukigetsu Rin.
Tsukigetsu Rin hailed from a kenjutsu family but had become a medical ninja—a rare deviation from the norm.
Hmm? Enemies?
Deidara's sensory abilities weren't particularly strong, so by the time he noticed, Sarutobi Tendo had already approached. With impressive speed, Tendo formed hand seals.
"Fire Release: Searing Migraine!"
His cheeks puffed up before he exhaled a torrent of roaring flames, filling the surrounding space with unbearable heat as they surged toward Deidara.
But it didn't stop there. Beside Tendo, Shimura Seito also completed his hand seals at lightning speed.
"Wind Release: Pressure Damage!"
The wind fueled the flames, intensifying the inferno until it seemed to engulf the heavens and earth. No matter how strong their opponent was, surely they would be subdued by such an overwhelming attack.
Fire Release, huh? Well, that's not a problem—it's not lethal.
Even in this life-threatening moment, Deidara couldn't help but mentally complain. His clay bomb abilities were undoubtedly powerful, but they had glaring weaknesses: their functionality was too singular, making them ill-suited for diverse scenarios.
Deidara had numerous vulnerabilities, such as susceptibility to genjutsu, lightning techniques, and sensory attacks, as well as a lack of precision and defensive capabilities against sudden assaults like this one.
To truly become an invincible powerhouse, he needed to address these issues one by one. While the system provided some support, Deidara also relied on his own ingenuity to devise solutions.
Thus, he wasn't entirely helpless.
Deidara reached into his clay pouch and pulled out a miniature C2 dragon. After activation, it was only the size of an average person—a pre-made creation ready for immediate use.
"Ha!"
The tiny C2 dragon spat out a basketball-sized mini-dragon, which Deidara detonated while it was still in its mouth. The explosion's shockwave propelled the mini-dragon like a booster, sending Deidara flying backward and crashing onto the street.
Ouch, that hurts!
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