Beibeibei~ I put on my backpack~
The moment I got home~
I know that real life has too many surprises~
If you see me, don't be too indifferent.
I am sentimental… but also passionate and unrestrained~ (ﾉ>ω<)ﾉ✧
At this moment, Deidara was riding on his massive clay bird, in-ear headphones plugged into both ears, a white cord hanging loosely from his jacket. A tiny gadget—only four or five centimeters long, two centimeters high—sat tucked in his pocket.
"Hey, this thing called an MP3 is pretty fun. The songs inside are pretty good. Really exciting~"
He grinned and turned around.
"Grandpa Sasori, why don't you give it a listen? It's pretty good. Maybe it'll stir that quiet little soul of yours that hides beneath your calm pursuit of art."
"…Oi, Grandpa Sasori? Say something."
"How did you—?"
Deidara subconsciously pulled out one earbud, assuming he hadn't heard Sasori's grumbling because both ears were plugged.
But when he turned fully…
There was no one behind him.
The wide back of the clay bird stretched empty.
Deidara stared blankly at the spot where Sasori had always sat. His unfocused eyes seemed to see the puppet master's silhouette still there.
"…Grandpa Sasori…"
His voice cracked softly as he muttered to the companion he had been inseparable from for years.
But this time…
there was no quiet, familiar reply.
Deidara shoved his hands into his pockets.
Pap… tap, tap…
He kept pressing the "+" button on the MP3, turning the volume to maximum, as if drowning out the world could quiet the aching emptiness in his chest.
But no matter how loud the music played, it no longer felt energetic or thrilling. Something was gone.
Something he couldn't replace.
His heart felt hollow (｡•́︿•̀｡).
...
After a day, the dense forest below gradually thinned. The lush green slowly faded into barren yellow earth. The landscape shifted from vitality to desolation.
Deidara squinted at the distant horizon. A village appeared at the edge of his vision.
He had reached the border of the Land of Earth.
Just half a day's flight north, and he'd arrive at Iwagakure.
But the thought made him instinctively stiffen. Although he didn't hate the village itself, the old man—Ōnoki—had always rejected and criticized his explosive art.
Nagging relentlessly.
Buzzing in his ears like a fly.
Even now, he still dreamed of a tiny buzzing insect flying around, dodging explosions using Light–Heavy Boulder Jutsu, twisting its body with annoying flexibility, then blasting apart his clay creations with Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique.
And afterward came the long, droning lecture.
[Stop messing with that handful of explosive clay. Why don't you learn Dust Release from me already?]
[Once you learn Dust Release, you'll be a nimble flying ninja. Combine that with its lethality—won't you be invincible?]
[That clay thing has huge startup time and a huge cooldown. Lightning Release shuts it down instantly. What good is that!?]
"Ugh… so annoying. If I go back and see that old guy again, he'll definitely buzz at me nonstop…"
Deidara's expression became hopeless.
Even though his understanding of art had soared in recent years—he'd even conceived a super-destructive technique of his own—Ōnoki was still Ōnoki.
And a blast of that scale…
well, it would probably wipe out half of Iwagakure.
Not to mention the self-destruction concept he was planning…
While lost in thought, the familiar-yet-foreign Iwagakure gradually appeared below.
"Mm~ hmm~"
"Well… guess I'll land first."
The clay bird descended slowly. Two veteran gatekeepers—Kuroiwa and Iwato—who had guarded the entrance for years, immediately noticed the incoming shape.
As the massive white bird grew larger, their eyes widened.
"Is that… that brat Deidara!?"
Kuroiwa sprinted into the guard booth and yanked down the emergency lever.
A sharp, piercing alarm echoed across the entire village.
From the Tsuchikage Building to every alley and even public toilets, the village snapped into motion.
Villagers rushed toward shelters.
Loudspeakers crackled with Kuroiwa's frantic voice.
"Level 2 alarm! Level 2 alarm!"
"This is NOT a drill! All ninja above Chunin—report to the gate immediately!"
"The dangerous Iwagakure rebel—Explosion Artist Deidara—has appeared at the entrance!"
"Genin, evacuate the civilians to shelters immediately! Children, elderly, and women first!"
Inside the Tsuchikage office, Ōnoki shot up from his chair and flew straight out the window, racing toward the gate.
His white eyebrows were drawn tight, wrinkles trembling against the rushing wind.
"Light–Heavy Boulder Jutsu!"
He lightened his body to accelerate.
"What are you doing back now, Deidara…?"
"Is this revenge? Are you trying to prove your 'art of explosion' to me?"
"Or is this an Akatsuki plot…?"
"Is the Akatsuki beginning to move?"
During the rapid flight, his thoughts churned.
He remembered the numerous times during the Third Great War—and even before—that he had hired Akatsuki as mercenaries for dirty work. He and Iwagakure had both done shameful things.
He had no fondness for Akatsuki, a money-driven war organization. Even cooperations in the past were based solely on mutual exploitation.
Despite his current confidence in his Dust Release, there wasn't a single member of Akatsuki he considered safe or predictable.
But this time…
This time, the one appearing wasn't a stranger, but his most gifted pupil.
The one he'd pinned hope on.
The one who embodied his ideals.
Deidara.
"Boy… I hope you're smart enough to leave before I arrive."
"Otherwise… for the sake of the village, I'll have no choice…"
Memories flooded his mind.
His old eyes stung—but hardened again.
"Even if it's you… if you threaten the village, I will never forgive you!"
He reached the gate quickly. Many nearby ninja had already gathered, all staring into the sky with fear.
Ōnoki looked up—
A giant white clay bird hovered overhead.
Deidara stood on its back.
...
...
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