Chapter 59: For Me, Art Is An Explosion!
"You bastard! How dare you sit on him?!" Naruto's voice thundered, his blood-red vertical pupils blazing with primal malice as he glared at Gaara's lifeless body, desecrated by Hasumi Maki and Deidara lounging atop it like it was a throne.
"No mistake there," Deidara said, chuckling as he watched the yellow-haired boy stomp in fury. "That's the Jinchuriki, alright. First to shout, just like Itachi said!" He forgave Itachi's vague description, now finding it perfectly apt. The kid's rage was practically a beacon.
Hasumi Maki shot Deidara a look, as if staring at an utter fool, and grabbed his head, twisting it toward Naruto. "Vertical pupils, sharp fangs—do we really need him to yell to know it's him?" Releasing Deidara, Maki grimaced at his hand, wiping it on his cloak. "What, did Gaara's corpse rot your brain already?"
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +1,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +1,000!]
[Chakra (65,317,000 / 100,000,000)]
Deidara's face twisted. "Don't say disgusting crap like that!" And can't Maki just drop dead already?
Sasori's earlier interest in the Jinchuriki had vanished. From the moment Chiyo appeared, his gaze locked onto her, intense and unyielding, the Nine-Tails forgotten.
Maki raised an eyebrow, a sly grin spreading as he slung an arm over Sasori's shoulder, joining him in staring at Chiyo. "Sasori, that your grandma? Gotta say, you don't look a bit like her!"
"Shut up," Sasori snapped, his voice like ice.
"Mad, huh?"
"I'm serious—you look more like her grandpa," Maki said, stroking his chin as he sized up Sasori's puppet form, his comparison dripping with vivid mockery.
"Hahahaha!" Deidara doubled over, clutching his stomach as his laughter echoed like a banshee's wail, shaking the cavern.
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +1,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +1,000!]
[Chakra (65,318,000 / 100,000,000)]
Sasori's face darkened, Hiruko's puppet features twitching with a scowl—impressive for a construct of wood and flesh. Maki flashed a thumbs-up, clearly pleased with himself.
"Gaara! What are you doing, sleeping like that?!" Naruto's desperate shouts rang out, his voice cracking as he refused to accept the truth. "Get up, Gaara! Hey! Can you hear me?!"
Maki watched Naruto's outburst, an idea sparking in his twisted mind. He couldn't help but admire his own "pure and noble" soul. Perched atop Gaara's corpse, he picked at his ear with exaggerated annoyance. This Nine-Tails kid is so damn loud.
With a mocking smirk, Maki pointed at his temple, locking eyes with Renji. "Hey, little brother, is your Jinchuriki pal a bit… slow up here? You get it—he's dead." He leaned forward, casually slapping Gaara's cold cheek, the sound echoing sharply. Shrugging at Naruto, he inspected his palm. "This corpse is stiff as a board. No bounce at all."
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +10,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +10,000!]
[Chakra (65,328,000 / 100,000,000)]
Naruto's rage flared higher—what had Maki even done to provoke him this much?
"Hey, Gaara, hear that? Some idiot Jinchuriki's calling for you!" Maki said, leaning down as if Gaara might answer, his tone theatrical. He cupped his ear, pretending to listen. "What's that? Oh, got it." He straightened, grinning at Naruto. "Gaara says relax—you'll be joining him soon enough. Little friends should hold hands on the path to the underworld, right? Hahahaha!"
Deidara nearly choked, his laughter roaring louder. Maki's jabs at him stung, but watching him roast Naruto was fun.
"Oh, and you, my adorable little brother," Maki said, pointing at Renji with a wink, his voice dripping with false warmth. "Good thing you're here—you won't be lonely on that trip to the afterlife. How sweet!"
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +100,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +100,000!]
[Chakra (65,428,000 / 100,000,000)]
Naruto's fury exploded. "Give him back! Give Gaara back, you monsters! I'll kill you all!" His body shook, overwhelmed by rage, his blood-red eyes blazing with murderous intent. He charged toward Maki and the others, only to be stopped by Kakashi's arm barring his path.
"Calm down, Naruto," Kakashi said, his voice firm, his Sharingan scanning the trio ahead. "Rush in recklessly, and we're all dead." His gaze lingered on Maki, noting the uncanny resemblance to Renji.
Tch. Renji's way cuter.
"Leave the corpse to me," Sasori said suddenly, his voice low, eyes still fixed on Chiyo.
"Hm?" Deidara and Maki turned to him, surprised.
"Seems the Jinchuriki really wants it back," Sasori said. Every Akatsuki member coveted the Nine-Tails, the strongest Jinchuriki. Holding Gaara's body would draw Naruto into a fight—a calculated move.
Deidara's eyes narrowed, his grin turning competitive. "Sorry, Sasori, but I'm taking the Nine-Tails. As an artist, I need the thrill of a real challenge to keep my senses sharp. They say the Nine-Tails is a beast—perfect for my art!" His confidence radiated, his hands already shaping clay.
"What, your explosions? Art?" Sasori sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. "Art is eternal beauty, preserved forever. Your fleeting flashes are nothing."
"Fleeting beauty is art!" Deidara shot back, his brow furrowing. "Dazzling, momentary brilliance—that's the real deal!"
"What did you say?!" Sasori's voice rose, his lifelong dedication to his craft insulted by Deidara's words.
"You're the one who doesn't get it!" Deidara snapped, leaning in.
"Enough!" Maki's hands cracked across both their faces, silencing them. "You two know nothing about art. I'll show you what true art is soon enough."
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +1,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +1,000!]
[Chakra (65,429,000 / 100,000,000)]
Sasori: "…"
Deidara might know a sliver of art, but Maki? Nothing.
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +1,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +1,000!]
[Chakra (65,430,000 / 100,000,000)]
Deidara: "…"
Sasori might have a clue, but Maki's clueless.
"You three bastards!" Naruto roared, ignored and enraged. This was a moment of grief, a sacred fight, yet they sat on Gaara's body, bickering about art! A puff of smoke flashed, and a Fūma Shuriken materialized in his hand, hurled with fury. Sasori deflected it without a glance, his tail flicking with precision.
"For me, art is an explosion!" Deidara declared, his clay morphing into a massive bird that swallowed Gaara's corpse. He leapt onto it, soaring out of the cave, flashing a provocative grin at Naruto below. "Better keep up, Jinchuriki!"
Naruto didn't hesitate, sprinting after him. Mid-air, Deidara's bird plummeted toward the water, Maki's figure appearing on the surface below. "Stay in this area," Maki said, his tone firm. "No audience, no show. Respect the stage, Deidara."
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +1,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +1,000!]
[Chakra (65,431,000 / 100,000,000)]
Deidara seethed, soaked and humiliated. Maki's a lunatic! Why's it always me? Why not Sasori? His frustration was plain.
Maki rolled his eyes. I don't hit Sasori—I'd roll him into a ball and fire him like a cannon.
"Fine, the Nine-Tails is yours," Maki said, calming Deidara's anger with a single sentence. Deidara shot him a wary glance—Maki's blows stung, but he leaned toward him in big moments.
"Don't screw it up, or I'll take you down," Maki added, his smile deceptively kind.
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +1,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +1,000!]
[Chakra (65,432,000 / 100,000,000)]
Deidara gritted his teeth. Heartless monster. Staring at Naruto charging toward him, he sneered. "No way I'm losing to a rookie!" Failure would be a disgrace.
"Sasori," Maki said, turning to the motionless puppeteer. "The orange-peel grandma and the muscle woman are yours. My brother and the dead-fish-eyed guy? I'll send them off myself." His gentle tone, eerily similar to Renji's, paired with his chilling smile, sent shivers through the air.
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +500!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +500!]
[Chakra (65,432,500 / 100,000,000)]
A vein pulsed on Sakura's forehead. Muscle woman? He's not talking about me, is he?
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +500!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +500!]
[Chakra (65,433,000 / 100,000,000)]
Kakashi's eyes widened. Dead-fish-eyed? That's not me, right? Maki had been grating from the moment he appeared.
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +500!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +500!]
[Chakra (65,433,500 / 100,000,000)]
"Bastard!" Chiyo snapped, her face red with fury. "I was Sunagakure's prized beauty in my youth!"
"You had a youth?" Maki feigned shock. "I thought you were born looking like dried fruit. My bad."
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +500!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +500!]
[Chakra (65,434,000 / 100,000,000)]
Chiyo trembled, her blood pressure spiking. Old age didn't mix well with such insults.
"You retired years ago," Sasori said, his voice cutting through before Chiyo speak. "Why come here to die?"
"I wanted to see my grandson," Chiyo said, a bittersweet smile on her lips, her eyes holding both sorrow and hope.
Maki burst into laughter, his voice echoing mockingly. "How's it feel, old lady, seeing a grandson who looks older than your great-grandpa? Disappointed, huh? Hahahaha!" To him, Sasori's puppet form was ancient compared to Chiyo's weathered face. His laughter begged for a punch.
"Manipulating Attack Blades!" Chiyo struck, her chakra-controlled kunai shooting toward Sasori. They sliced his cloak but were deflected by his tail, the weapon's adaptability thwarted by his skill.
"If you insist on fighting, I have no choice," Sasori said, his cloak bursting open to reveal a grotesque, sanity-shattering form. Part scorpion, part bear, part leopard—anything but human. "You and that muscle woman will join my collection." His tail swayed, a predator lurking in its dark nest.
"What is that?" Sakura gasped, her eyes wide with shock at the monstrous puppet.
"It's not Sasori's real body," Chiyo explained, her voice steady despite the horror. "It's Hiruko, his prized puppet. His true self is hidden inside."
…
"Gaara!" Naruto's gaze locked on the corpse dangling from the clay bird's beak high above, his heart twisting.
Kakashi lifted his forehead protector, revealing his Sharingan, its red glow cutting through the dim cave.
Maki's eyes gleamed with curiosity as he studied Renji. "Gotta say, I'm intrigued. How'd you survive three years ago? I was sure you were dead." His eyes narrowed, a predatory glint flashing as he stepped back, then shot toward Renji, his left hand morphing into a massive beast's claw.
Renji matched his speed, lightning-fast without Flying Thunder God. His right fist surged with black and red lightning, exploiting a gap in Maki's attack. Aiming for Maki's heart, his Black Flash roared with power—until a chilling sense of danger made him abandon the strike, dodging aside.
Rip!
Maki appeared behind him, his claw tearing through Renji's back. Despite Renji's evasion, the sharp pain stole his breath, blood seeping from the gash.
"Your reflexes are sharper," Maki said, grinning. Their fights were always serious, a brutal dance without full trump cards. Sparring with a mirror of himself was training—and a chance to farm Malice Value. Why not?
Maki's feet dug in, his speed sending a terrifying roar through the air as he charged again. Renji braced for impact, but Maki pivoted, his hand morphing into a long blade that slashed toward Kakashi.
Bang!
The attack was too sudden. Kakashi, ever vigilant, couldn't dodge. His arm flew off, splashing into the water below. Pain seared through him, his face paling as he half-knelt, blood spreading across the surface.
"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto's scream echoed, raw with panic.
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +50,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +50,000!]
[Chakra (65,484,000 / 100,000,000)]
"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura's voice joined, her fists clenched.
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +50,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +50,000!]
[Chakra (65,534,000 / 100,000,000)]
"Kakashi!" Might Guy's voice boomed as his team arrived, his eyes blazing with fury.
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +500,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +500,000!]
[Chakra (66,034,000 / 100,000,000)]
Renji's eyes burned crimson, locked on Maki's smug grin. That bastard. Like an arrow loosed from a bow, he launched himself at Maki, his fury igniting the air.
----
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If you're enjoying the story and want to read future chapters early, just search "Demonic_Fiction" on "P4trƐon" (link in the synopsis)