Kapitel 169: Chapter 169

[500PS REACHED!! Next Goal: 1000PS!]

When an artist is suddenly inspired and filled with passion, what kind of display can be expected? The ruined mansion of the Daimyo already proved everything.

At this moment, thoughts of Sasori or the Akatsuki were completely forgotten by Deidara.

He immediately crafted a batch of clay bombs, sticking them to the barrier. Forming hand seals, he shouted:

"Ha!"

Boom!

The explosion resounded.

The barrier in front of him flickered briefly before a passageway large enough to pass through opened.

"So easy?"

Deidara had thought it would take several tries, but one explosion was enough.

Well, considering the style of this aerial fortress, it clearly didn't belong to the Five Great Ninja Villages.

Setting up such a large-scale hidden barrier was already surprising.

If its defensive strength had also been strong, such a force wouldn't have remained unknown in the ninja world.

Thinking this, Deidara, who had mostly recovered by now, smiled and controlled his clay bird, flying directly inside.

Even if it were one of the Five Great Ninja Villages, he wouldn't hesitate to barge in alone, let alone this aerial fortress that no one had ever heard of.

From this moment on, he would prepare to create an unprecedented, enormous firework here!

"Deidara."

Just as Deidara was excitedly fantasizing about the spectacular explosion of the fortress, he suddenly heard someone call his name.

He turned his head to see a young man, dressed simply in white, standing on a rooftop, level with him.

'There was no one here earlier.'

Though obsessed with his art and bold enough to invade the aerial fortress, Deidara hadn't lost his battle instincts. He remained vigilant.

When he entered, he had carefully scanned the surroundings and was sure that no one was nearby.

So, where did this man come from? How could he evade Deidara's detection?

Thinking this, Deidara quietly slipped his right hand into his ninja pouch, concealed by the wide sleeve of his Akatsuki uniform.

The person standing there was none other than Hagoromo Gensou.

He had deliberately allowed Deidara to enter and wasn't concerned about the latter's little movements.

Recalling what Hagoromo Morin had said earlier, Gensou decided to ask one question before taking action:

"Deidara, do you know the Hagoromo clan?"

Hearing this, while still preparing for combat, Deidara casually replied:

"The Hagoromo clan? Sounds artistic. Are they here? Perfect timing, I'm planning to set off a huge firework here soon. Hmm."

Gensou's mouth twitched slightly.

The response was exactly what Morin had described—almost spot on!

This brat had truly forgotten his connection to the Hagoromo clan.

Or perhaps, he had never really paid attention to it from the beginning.

Gensou had originally intended to speak to him as the clan leader.

But seeing the situation now, he decided to drop that idea.

It was better to discipline this brat first.

In the blink of an eye, Gensou disappeared from Deidara's sight.

"Where did he go?"

Deidara's expression tightened as he quickly scanned the surroundings and instinctively controlled his clay bird to fly upwards.

However, before the bird could spread its wings…

A hand pierced through it from below, tearing it in half with a ripping sound.

"So fast!"

Deidara's pupils contracted as he floated in the air, staring intently at Gensou, who had just appeared beside him and effortlessly shredded his mount.

He was about to throw the clay bombs he had prepared.

Crackle~~

Lightning surged from Gensou's body.

Unable to dodge in time, Deidara's body became paralyzed, and the clay bombs in his hands fizzled out.

With a swift motion, Gensou slapped Deidara across the forehead.

Dazed by the blow, Deidara's body tilted, and with a whoosh, he plummeted toward the ground.

Boom!

He crashed into the street below, creating a large crater.

Shortly after, Gensou descended from the sky, walking up to the crater without a scratch on him.

Due to the moderate height of the fall, Deidara hadn't lost any limbs, but his entire body was in a daze from the impact.

However, when he saw Gensou standing beside him once again, Deidara, feeling a burning pain on his forehead and enraged at such humiliation, suddenly regained his energy and shouted angrily:

"An artist can be killed, but never humiliated like this!"

"You bastard, insulting an artist. Now I'll show you my ultimate art!!"

As he spoke, Deidara's body began emitting a dazzling white light.

This was the prelude to self-destruction.

Sure enough, his body swelled up, and with a face full of fanaticism, Deidara shouted:

"Art is an explo—"

Before he could finish his iconic phrase, Gensou stomped on his head, causing it to burst.

Not far away, Morin, who had just arrived, felt his heart skip a beat at the sight.

However, he quickly noticed that the Deidara whose head had been smashed had turned into clay, and he let out a sigh of relief.

Having destroyed Deidara's self-destruct clone and silenced it with Raiton chakra, Gensou turned his attention underground and stomped again.

Crack!

A massive crack swiftly spread downward.

Deidara, who had been using Doton: Moguragakure no Jutsu (Earth Release: Hiding Like a Mole Technique) to burrow underground, was dumbfounded as he looked up at the sunlight pouring in from above and at the figure who even the sun couldn't overshadow.

He had never imagined anyone could toy with him so easily.

In their brief exchange, Gensou hadn't used Genjutsu. He had simply, and effortlessly, played with Deidara as if it were child's play.

Despite clearly seeing every move, Deidara found himself unable to dodge any of the attacks.

It was like an adult beating a child.

The gap in strength was too great!

Deidara had no idea who the man above him was.

But unlike the time he faced Uchiha Itachi, there was at least some admiration he could feel for this opponent.

However, there was one thing:

"To be defeated so easily, and without a single bit of awe from my enemy toward my art—this is a complete failure! My art is far more than what I've just shown."

"In that case, I'll make myself into the art. With a never-before-seen explosion, I'll leave an unprecedented mark here. Then, my art will receive the admiration it deserves! Hmm!"

Determined not to let his art be underestimated, this time, Deidara truly decided to self-destruct.

He tore off his shirt, preparing to release the mouth sealed on his left chest.

Of course, Gensou wasn't going to give Deidara the chance to blow himself up. In a flash, he appeared beside Deidara.

Deidara tried to evade, but no matter how he moved, he couldn't escape Gensou's incoming slap.

Once again!

Seeing that he couldn't avoid it, Deidara quickly said:

"Wait! At least give me a chance to display my art!"

It was no use.

Seeing the slap about to land, Deidara could only protest in frustration:

"Don't hit my head!"

Smack!

Same spot as before.

Gensou slapped Deidara on the forehead again.

This time, he used a bit more force.

Deidara's eyelids drooped. Just before he passed out, he gritted his teeth and muttered stubbornly:

"Art... is eternal!!"

Thud.

Deidara collapsed to the ground, completely unconscious.

(End of Chapter)

Kommentar Kommentar von 21

Abstimmen

Kapitel 170: Chapter 170

When Deidara regained consciousness, he squinted slightly, surveying his surroundings. He found himself lying in a large hall, surrounded by a group of strange, older men who were curiously eyeing him like he was some kind of oddity.

Instinctively, his body tensed up.

No way? This can't be happening, right?

Though Deidara considered himself an artist, and a mainstream one at that, he had no interest in the unusual hobbies of more eccentric, fringe artists.

Whenever he encountered them, he'd blast them to pieces, purging the art world of such "blemishes."

Could this be karma, coming back to bite me now?

Deidara grew increasingly worried.

Just then, he overheard the strange men conversing nearby:

"Look at this kid, smooth skin, and a delicate face. He fits right in with us—definitely one of us!"

'One of you'? Who the hell is one of you?! Deidara raged internally.

"Let's keep him. He can help us expand our family."

No! Don't tell me I'm going to be both a troublemaker and a breeding pig?! Deidara felt a cold chill run down his spine.

"No way! This kid looks pretty rebellious. I doubt he'll be obedient."

"Then we'll just give him a good beating and keep scolding him. A good child is raised under discipline."

'A beating'... Deidara fell silent.

"Let's give it a try. If it doesn't work, we'll just bury him."

Use me and then bury me? Deidara couldn't hold it in any longer.

"You shameless old fools! All of you, go to hell! Hmm!"

Furious, Deidara jumped up, preparing to surprise and blow away these disgusting men.

However, in the next second, Deidara realized that while he could move freely, his chakra had been completely sealed. His full strength was unavailable.

He froze mid-pose, an awkward expression on his face as the room's atmosphere grew tense.

Meanwhile, due to Deidara's sudden outburst, the hall quickly fell silent.

The high-ranking members of the Hagoromo clan watched as Deidara erupted in anger, shouted at them, and then stood frozen, dumbstruck.

After a brief moment…

"Let's just kill him," one of the "old fools" suggested.

This drew agreement from many of the other "old fools."

Until a shout broke the tension:

"Deidara!!! Do you still not realize your mistake?!"

Just as Deidara, who was about to nobly face death, heard someone call his name, he turned and asked:

"Who the heck are you?"

Hagoromo Morin, his face flushed with frustration, replied, "You don't even recognize me anymore?!"

"You look kinda familiar... Hmm." Deidara scratched his chin, carefully studying Morin. After a moment, he clapped his hands and exclaimed:

"Oh, it's you! The old man who used to nag at me constantly back in the day! Hmm!"

If there were two people from Iwagakure who had left a deep impression on Deidara, one was his teacher, the Third Tsuchikage Onoki, who constantly restricted him from blowing things up. The other was old man Morin, who always followed him around, spouting strange phrases.

As for Kurotsuchi—was there anything more fun than bombs?

Seeing an old acquaintance in a foreign land, Deidara temporarily set aside his thoughts of martyrdom and curiously asked:

"Hey, old man Morin, weren't you in Iwagakure? What are you doing here? Don't tell me you've become a rogue ninja like me? Hmm?"

Hagoromo Morin sighed deeply. "Deidara, you really didn't listen back then, did you? This is the territory of the Hagoromo clan. I am a member of the Hagoromo clan, so of course, I'm here."

Deidara thought for a moment. "The Hagoromo clan? Sounds familiar. Oh right! That strong guy who beat me mentioned it earlier. Hmm."

"This is the Hagoromo clan's land. Everyone here is a member of the Hagoromo clan. Including you, Deidara. You carry the blood of the Hagoromo clan within you," a young voice echoed through the hall.

Deidara noticed that the moment the voice rang out, everyone present, including Morin, whom he recognized, immediately stood up and bowed respectfully toward the main seat.

Following their gaze, Deidara saw that someone had now taken a seat in the previously empty spot.

It was the young man who had easily defeated him earlier.

"I see you were all having quite the lively discussion," Gensou remarked with a light smile, glancing at everyone present.

Morin quickly stepped forward and said, "Forgive us, Clan Leader. Deidara turned out like this because I failed in raising him properly."

While Morin was openly explaining, he was secretly doing everything he could to protect Deidara's life.

Meanwhile, Deidara was deep in thought.

"Clan Leader… Hagoromo clan… old man Morin…"

Deidara had never been lacking in intelligence. He had simply always been so focused on his artistic creations that he paid little attention to anything else, even matters others considered of utmost importance.

If he hadn't cared for Onoki's teachings, how could he have paid any mind to Morin's words?

In a way, this was another form of childlike innocence.

Now, with everything laid bare and his attention fully focused, Deidara began to recall long-buried memories bit by bit.

He remembered how, back in the day, while he was shaping new clay bomb designs, old man Morin would always nag him about the "glory of the clan."

Right—he had always been talking about the Hagoromo clan.

But Morin had never explained which "Hagoromo" (羽衣) he meant. Could it have been "浴衣" (bathrobe)? "羽翼" (wings)? "雨意" (rain sentiment)? It could have been any of them.

Busy with his artistic endeavors, and with the "glory of the clan" meaning nothing to him, Deidara had always let those words go in one ear and out the other.

Even as words like "Hagoromo Gensou" and "Hagoromo clan" became more frequent in the ninja world, they hadn't stirred Deidara's deeply buried memories.

Until now.

Listening to the conversations around him, Deidara finally understood.

Hagoromo Gensou!

The young man before him was none other than Hagoromo Gensou!

Deidara was certain.

Only someone of such stature could possess the overwhelming strength that left him with no chance to resist.

And the people around him—all members of the Hagoromo clan.

Wait—he himself was a member of the Hagoromo clan, too.

"So my last name is Hagoromo? The same Hagoromo as Hagoromo Gensou? Hmm, the characters for 'Hagoromo' look pretty artistic. They suit me as an artist. Hmm."

Now that everything was clear, Deidara's first thought, in typical fashion, was how the characters for "Hagoromo" had an artistic feel that he liked.

Then, he let out a big sigh of relief:

"So, it looks like I won't be forced down the wrong path after all. Hmm!"

(End of Chapter)

====

[Check Out My Patreon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!! For Only $5!!][www.p@treon.com/zaelum]

[+500 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]

[Thank You For Your Support!]

Kommentar Kommentar von 21

Abstimmen