Chapter 159: Danzo's Decision – Art is an Explosion
"I honestly didn't expect Danzo to request a meeting with Hanzo of the Salamander."
In a hidden base in the Land of Rain, Black Zetsu handed a letter to Nagato. Uchiha Obito stood nearby, visibly puzzled.
"Is that guy trying to get himself killed?" Obito muttered, unable to understand Danzo's logic.
"Danzo wants to meet with Hanzo?" Nagato's expression turned strange.
"So… this could be our chance to eliminate him?" he asked.
"If everything goes smoothly, yes," Black Zetsu replied with a nod. Even he hadn't expected Danzo to take the initiative like this. Frankly, it felt like an absurd stroke of luck.
They had been debating how to track Danzo down, and now he was walking right into their hands. It was almost too good to be true.
"There's a catch, though. Danzo wants to meet somewhere near Konoha. He seems very concerned about potential danger. Also, there's something else he mentioned…"
"Near Konoha?" Nagato didn't seem bothered by the request. "It's not a big deal. Danzo's always been a sewer rat—of course he'd be overly cautious."
Besides, they were already planning to head toward Konoha.
"Fine, we'll meet him. And if we can avoid fighting within the village itself, that's even better," Nagato said. Then he glanced at Black Zetsu. "What's the other thing he said?"
"He doesn't want to come alone. He insists someone else be present at the meeting," Black Zetsu said, almost laughing.
"He didn't say who, probably a safety measure on his part."
"Let him bring someone," Nagato replied decisively, glancing at Obito, who showed no intention of commenting.
"I'm actually curious," Obito said, raising an eyebrow. "Who exactly does he think can protect him?"
He seemed like he wanted to bring up Kitagawa Gen, but Black Zetsu subtly stopped him. Now wasn't the time to cause complications.
After all, if they could deal with Danzo early, the rest of their plans would become much easier.
---
Meanwhile, in the Land of Fields, within the Sound Village.
"Orochimaru-sama, another message has arrived from Shimura Danzo."
Kimimaro retrieved a scroll from the mouth of a viper. After quickly glancing over its contents, he turned and spoke to Orochimaru.
"Danzo again?" Orochimaru raised an eyebrow. Ever since discovering Danzo's betrayal, he'd stopped caring about any message from him.
Even when he did read them, he never responded. There was no point in talking to a dead man.
Danzo had gone quiet for a while. Yet now, just as Orochimaru was preparing to move, another letter arrived.
"Orochimaru-sama, should we take a look?" Kimimaro asked quietly. "We are about to leave for Konoha anyway… and this Danzo…"
"Give it to me," Orochimaru said after a moment's thought, accepting the scroll.
The timing was suspicious. Especially considering Danzo was one of his targets this time. He wanted to see what tricks the old snake was trying to pull.
"Hm? Danzo wants to meet me?" Orochimaru read the scroll and raised an eyebrow.
"Interesting…"
He couldn't quite figure out what Danzo was up to. The man showed no remorse for his betrayal, always wearing that falsely innocent expression.
Someone less discerning might fall for it.
But Orochimaru knew Danzo too well. There was no way he didn't have another agenda.
"Maybe… it's worth meeting him," Orochimaru murmured, stroking his chin.
After all, Danzo was a target. If he could avoid unnecessary risks, all the better. Even if Danzo was bringing backup…
Danzo hadn't hidden the fact that he'd bring someone. He made it clear he wouldn't attend the meeting alone.
Of course, he didn't specify how many people he would bring—but Orochimaru was still interested in testing the waters.
"Understood. Contact Kabuto and tell him to coordinate with me," Orochimaru ordered.
"Yes, Orochimaru-sama," Kimimaro nodded. After a pause, he hesitated and then asked softly, "Orochimaru-sama… may I accompany you this time?"
"No," Orochimaru said firmly.
He sighed as he looked at Kimimaro, understanding the boy's intentions. But his body simply couldn't handle it.
The injuries could be treated. But the strange kekkei illness flaring up in his body—almost like a mutated form of yang release—was beyond even Orochimaru's expertise.
The fact that Kimimaro had survived this long was a testament to his willpower.
"You need to stay here and recover. Who knows…" Orochimaru trailed off, his tone unusually soft.
"Kimimaro, your value will shine in other ways."
---
The Next Morning – Konoha Village Streets
"Hey, Gen… that blond brat… does he have some kind of weird fetish or what? Hmm?" Deidara asked in a low voice, trailing behind Kitagawa Gen.
Gen, just freshly awake, rubbed his temple in frustration.
"How should I know? Aren't you a blond brat too? And shouldn't I be asking you something? Like—why the hell are you here by yourself?"
"Bah, that old man was too slow. He insisted on waiting for some official ceremony or whatever. So I just went ahead on my own."
"That's not what I meant. I'm asking—where are the other contestants from your village? Why are you the only one here?"
"Relax, relax. They're just slower than me, that's all. No big deal. Besides, I came in through official channels, didn't I?"
Looking at Deidara's nonchalant attitude, Kitagawa Gen didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
This guy was really doing whatever he wanted, just because he was the Tsuchikage's apprentice.
"When are the rest of your Iwagakure people arriving?" Gen asked, rubbing his brow in frustration.
Deidara thought for a moment and replied uncertainly, "Today or tomorrow, probably. They won't be too late. Oh, by the way—I saw the Sunagakure team while I was coming in. Looks like they're arriving today too."
Deidara had set off on his own, of course, riding atop his clay bird. From high in the sky, spotting the Sunagakure delegation wasn't all that surprising.
"They're arriving today, huh? Looks like the show's really about to begin."
Hearing that, Kitagawa Gen perked up slightly. While the Chūnin Exams didn't directly involve him anymore, he couldn't deny how exciting the whole affair was.
And it wasn't just about Gaara—regardless of whether Gaara showed up, the scale of this event guaranteed that Gen would be assigned a high-level mission.
"This is getting more and more interesting."
He lightly slapped his own face to boost his energy and nodded with a grin. Then he turned and headed straight for the Hokage's office.
"Hey, hey, where are you going?" Deidara called out in confusion.
Gen rolled his eyes. "I'm going to apply to be a proctor for the Chūnin Exams. Why are you still following me?"
After all, he hadn't forgotten his so-called 'promise'—even if no one assigned it to him, he fully intended to insert himself into the action.
"Come on! I didn't even interrupt your party yesterday. Today you could at least keep your promise!"
Deidara huffed in frustration. "You doubted my art, remember? Said Dust Release was the real art. Ever since then, I've been working hard to learn it!"
"So..."
Gen paused mid-step, turning to Deidara with a curious expression. "You learned it?"
"Tch, don't doubt my genius, hm!" Deidara lifted his chin proudly, hands on his hips, laughing smugly. "I may not be as good as the old man yet, but I've got the basics down. I can use it now, at least in simple ways. So? Isn't it time we settle which of our arts is superior?"
Gen eyed him thoughtfully. Judging by his tone and demeanor, Deidara wasn't lying.
If that was true… then this guy's talent really was off the charts.
Without Akatsuki's influence and under the proper guidance of Ōnoki, Deidara's potential might just be limitless.
---
[New Side Quest Acquired]
["Art is an Explosion — Boom!"]
Objective: Accept Deidara's artistic challenge.
---
While Gen was still mulling it over, the system notification popped up again. He blinked, then grinned and replied:
"Alright, alright, let's find a training ground and test it out."
"Eh?" Deidara blinked, confused.
"Weren't you acting all cold and uninterested just now, hm?" he asked.
"I just hope you don't collapse as soon as we start," Gen teased. "That'd be boring."
"Hmph! Don't think you're all that just because they call you the New White Fang, the White Flash, or Purple Lightning…"
"Alright, alright. I can't carry all those titles at once anyway. You coming or not?"
Even Gen was baffled by how many weird titles he'd apparently racked up. And honestly? He probably had even more if he started counting.
"Let's go!" Deidara grinned and followed along, but after a beat, he couldn't help asking:
"By the way… that blond kid, Naruto—is he really okay?"
"He's fine. Why do you keep asking about him?"
"I just think he's kinda interesting. But… never mind. If you say he's fine, that's enough. So where is he?"
"Him?" Gen smirked.
"He's probably very confused right now."
"Huh?"
"I just hope my jutsu holds long enough."
---
Konohagakure – Rooftop of Naruto's Home
Naruto and Sasuke stood on the roof, looking down at the bustling street below.
"Hey, I'm hungry. This body gets hungry so easily," said 'Sasuke' suddenly.
"If we can't figure this out soon, I'm going back for ramen."
"Idiot. Eating ramen every day'll ruin your health," 'Naruto' scoffed.
"No wonder I've felt so crappy. It's your fault, dumbass."
They fell silent after exchanging insults. Then, out of nowhere, they both grabbed each other's collars and shouted:
"If you hate it so much, give me my body back!"
"You moron! It's not like I was the only one who didn't wear a skirt yesterday! And who the hell thought spiking my juice with alcohol was a good idea?!"
'Naruto' roared, while 'Sasuke' shot back angrily:
"Oh, shut up! Gen probably sensed something was wrong already. And I drank the juice too, didn't I? Go ahead and hit me if you're so mad!"
"Oh, I will!"
'Naruto' didn't hesitate. He swung a punch—but only managed a few before losing steam. That gave 'Sasuke' his opening.
"You're no better!"
'Sasuke' countered with his own flurry of punches.
"You're still the dead last loser! Sakura won't even spare you a glance! And now you're too scared to even let your stipend out of sight in case Gen cons you out of it again, you idiot!"
But after just a few hits, he slowed too. The two of them stared at each other in silence, wincing slightly.
"…Ow. Why do those punches hurt me so much?"
"Hey."
A voice cut through the tension. They turned their heads to see Kakashi staring at them with his usual lazy, expressionless gaze.
After a long pause, he finally asked:
"Are you… playing some sort of transformation game?"
"Huh? Transformation?"
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