Chapter 341: Own Land
One adult and five children ate more than half of the half-wild boar.
Masahiko was naturally the main force, and the five children didn't eat little either, all getting a bit stuffed. Especially Kurotsuchi, who was now lying flat on her back on the ground, clutching her highly bulging belly, her face full of happiness, unable to even speak.
Masahiko smiled and glanced at this young girl. He liked her personality very much—clean, straightforward, sunny, and positive. Unlike Deidara, who, while eating the meat he roasted, still occasionally glared at him and Kimimaro with deep-seated hatred.
"What are you looking at? If you aren't full, keep eating. With so many mouths, do I have to feed you too? If you don't eat, give it to those two from your village, they've been craving it for a while."
Deidara glanced at him, didn't reply, and his eyes wandered around the surroundings. He had the thought of 'while you guys are stuffed, I'll find a way to sneak away.'
The young girl Kurotsuchi lying on the ground suddenly let out a long breath: "Phew... I'm alive again. Uncle, your cooking is really good, I almost died from overeating. Uncle Mahiru, Uncle Kakkou, you should come eat some, don't waste it. And keep an eye on Big Brother Deidara, he's still thinking of running away!"
"Tch!" Deidara curled his lip.
Those two Hidden Stone Village ninjas hesitated for a moment, nodded, and were about to come over. Suddenly, their unconscious companion beside them bounced up and stood fiercely, pulling out a kunai and vigilantly observing the surroundings. He had clearly been kicked into a blackout by Masahiko.
"Uncle Taiseki, you're finally awake. Come over and eat some pork," Kurotsuchi laughed.
Taiseki: ???
The people eating pork were replaced by the three Hidden Stone Village ninjas. Masahiko led the five children to sit around the side, wanting them to get to know each other.
"Don't be shy, introduce yourselves. We'll be staying in the Hidden Stone Village for a period of time. You guys are close in age and have similar strength. Get familiar with each other, and when you have free time, spar a few times, your strength will improve faster." Masahiko said to Kimimaro's trio.
"Kurotsuchi, 8 years old." It was the straightforward young girl Kurotsuchi who spoke first.
"Karin, 7 years old."
"Haku, 9 years old."
"Kimimaro, 9 years old."
"..."
"Tch! Deidara, 10 years old. Un!"
"Making an introduction, why so many particle words?" Masahiko smiled, but found that Kurotsuchi and Deidara's gazes were both projected onto him.
"I don't need to introduce myself, right? I'm not the same age as you guys, I'm a bit older than all of you," Masahiko laughed awkwardly.
"Uncle, don't be shy." Kurotsuchi returned the exact phrase to him.
"Red-haired uncle, 18 years old."
"Who is just called Red-haired uncle? And how could you possibly be 18 years old, 38 is more like it!" Kurotsuchi shouted loudly.
Masahiko held back a laugh: "Alright. My name is Shanks, 38 years old."
Kimimaro and Haku were fine; their expressions rarely changed, one a cold handsome face, the other a sweet smiling face. The highly expressive Karin was already rolling her eyes so hard they almost flipped backward.
Kurotsuchi looked at Karin twice: "Uncle, you aren't really 18, are you? With how you look..."
Masahiko also rolled his eyes; this was truly a beautiful misunderstanding.
"Give me, Shanks, some face, and don't ask how old I am. Just treat it as if I'm over a hundred years old."
Perhaps Shanks' face had an effect. Kurotsuchi stopped pestering him about his age and started lecturing Deidara on the side.
Masahiko listened for a while and gradually understood the whole story of Deidara's running away.
As Deidara's Kekkei Genkai grew stronger and stronger, he became increasingly obsessed with the 'art' of explosions. When he had nothing to do, he would make a little spider or a little centipede to blow something up, causing a lot of trouble for the civilians living in the Hidden Stone Village, and it was getting worse.
Ohnoki hesitated again and again, and finally ordered this disciple of his to move out of the village and live alone outside. Of course, this was just making Deidara move his house, not driving him away.
However, this action probably stimulated Deidara's rebellious emotions, making him want to stay away from the Hidden Stone Village and embark on a path of independently pursuing art. This was already his third time running away, and it was the closest to success, because he had just become able to create a giant bird for transport through his Kekkei Genkai.
Masahiko scratched his head. No wonder Deidara had such deep-seated resentment. He didn't escape this time, and next time the Hidden Stone Village would be prepared against this jutsu of his, making it probably even harder to run far.
"You don't realize how lucky you are. Having the Tsuchikage personally act as a teacher is something many people beg for but cannot get."
Deidara glanced at him: "Didn't you call yourself a performance artist? On the path of pursuing art, one should advance courageously! Un!"
Masahiko said deeply: "Then you must have strength. On my journey to pursue art, I don't know how many people wanted to kill me."
Deidara was stunned: "Tch! Then why didn't they manage to kill you?"
Masahiko smiled meaningfully: "That's because they are all dead."
"Pfft..." Karin instantly burst out laughing. Ever since meeting Deidara and Kurotsuchi, this Great Elder had been acting mysterious and putting on a show. She had been holding back from exposing him or complaining, but now she really couldn't hold it in anymore.
Masahiko turned his head and glared at her. Kurotsuchi and Deidara also gave her baffling looks.
A moment later, Kurotsuchi revealed an understanding smile: "Red-haired uncle, you're bragging, right? Your companion is even laughing at you."
Masahiko's face darkened; this was another beautiful misunderstanding.
He was about to explain when the three Hidden Stone ninjas over there finished eating the pork and walked over: "Lady Kurotsuchi, we should go back."
Kurotsuchi smiled with a bit of schadenfreude: "Big Brother Deidara, go back and accept the old man's lecture."
Deidara's face suddenly changed. He feared nothing in heaven or earth, except for his master Ohnoki.
Kurotsuchi turned her head: "Uncle, are you guys coming together?"
Masahiko nodded, leading Kimimaro's trio to follow Kurotsuchi.
"Young girl Kurotsuchi, your grandfather values you very much, assigning you three Jonin guards." Masahiko originally thought those three had come out to find Deidara. He didn't expect them to call Kurotsuchi 'Lady'.
Kurotsuchi turned her head and explained: "Only Uncle Mahiru is my guard. Uncle Kakkou is Big Brother Deidara's guard, and Uncle Taiseki is our senior brother's guard."
"Senior brother?" Masahiko was startled. He really didn't know Ohnoki had a third disciple.
"Who is your senior brother?"
Kurotsuchi smiled and pointed towards the Hidden Stone Village gates ahead: "Senior brother is waiting for us at the village entrance!"
Masahiko followed her point and looked over. A twelve or thirteen-year-old large, chubby boy appeared in his sight.
"Your senior brother is... named Kitsuchi, right?" Masahiko was stunned. He had an impression of the person in his eyes, the large chubby guard of Ohnoki in the original story. He didn't expect him to also be Ohnoki's disciple, and at such a young age.
Kurotsuchi hurriedly retorted: "Not at all. My senior brother is named Akatsuchi, Kitsuchi is my father."
Masahiko's mouth twitched: "Kitsuchi, Akatsuchi, Kurotsuchi. What's Ohnoki trying to do with these names? His own earth, his own land, is he trying to grow some RMB?"
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