The two infiltrated the hospital in disguise, refraining from launching an immediate attack. With Konoha currently embroiled in chaos, the hospital staff were overwhelmed by the influx of injured, leaving no one to notice the presence of two enemy intruders.
Deidara followed Kabuto through the hospital corridors. Kabuto seemed quite familiar with the layout, quickly leading them to a quiet floor—likely where the administrative offices were located.
"Lord Seiryu, the records room is just ahead. There might be guards, and we could face resistance," Kabuto warned.
Deidara nodded, understanding Kabuto's implication. "I'll be careful not to blow up the data along with everything else."
As they approached, they noticed a female ninja in a white coat sitting at a desk, organizing files.
These records weren't particularly sensitive, so the hospital had only assigned a regular staff member to manage them—no ANBU or other elite guards were present.
"Who's there?"
The administrator looked up, revealing a familiar face.
Yueguang Rin!
What a coincidence!
Deidara quickly dispelled his Transformation Jutsu. Yueguang Rin stood there in shock.
"Lord Deidara! It's you!"
Kabuto lowered his right hand, which had already gathered chakra for a scalpel, and smiled as he looked at the respectful woman. "So, she's one of ours too, huh?"
"I didn't expect Miss Rin to be a spy as well. What a surprise."
Yueguang Rin glanced at Kabuto. Although they had no personal interaction, she vaguely recognized him as a lower-ranking ninja who had been working at the hospital for a long time.
However, her expression soured at the sight of Kabuto. After all, he was a spy infiltrating Konoha, and now, so was she.
"Rin, I need the patient records from the hospital. Taking them won't cause you any trouble, will it?" Deidara asked.
Yueguang Rin shook her head. "Not much. These are just minor files, and at most, I'll get scolded by the director. But for Lord Deidara, that's nothing."
Only then did Deidara feel reassured. He nodded, "Kabuto, you go and—"
Boom!
Before he could finish, a thick wooden spike burst through the wall, hurtling toward Deidara's abdomen with lightning speed.
Deidara instinctively rolled to dodge, but the spike still managed to leave a long gash on his side. Thankfully, he could use Clayification. Without it, the injury could have been much worse.
"Careful! We're under attack!"
Deidara's wound on his left side slowly healed as he deactivated his Clayification. Kabuto and Yueguang Rin immediately assumed combat stances.
Rumble!
Dozens of thorny branches erupted from the floor, surging toward Deidara in an attempt to ensnare him.
"Hah!"
Deidara countered with Clay Serpent Hands, destroying most of the branches. However, a few managed to slip through and strike him. Yet, by transforming his entire right leg into clay, Deidara rendered the attack harmless.
Wait! Something's wrong!
Wood Release could absorb chakra. Deidara clearly felt his chakra depleting as the thorny branches grazed him. If this continued, even his Clayification wouldn't save him—his chakra would be completely drained.
"Is this one of Orochimaru's experiments? That guy named Tenzo?" Kabuto speculated, slicing through a branch with his chakra scalpel.
Deidara shook his head in denial. Yamato's Wood Release wasn't this powerful.
In fact, Deidara had already figured it out. In the current ninja world, only one being could wield Wood Release at this level—White Zetsu Tobi, controlling Yamato.
But why would Obito and Black Zetsu send Tobi to attack him?
Could it be that they saw him as a threat and wanted to eliminate him?
After all, it was Deidara who had influenced Nagato to change course. Now, Nagato and Akatsuki were largely beyond Obito's control.
"C1 Special Type: Serpent Swarm!"
Deidara summoned a small number of clay creatures to fend off the Wood Release while retreating toward the hospital's exit. No matter what, he couldn't afford a large-scale battle within Konoha. If he were exposed, his plans to form an alliance with Konoha would be ruined.
Oh, the alliance plan!
Deidara suddenly understood. Obito and Black Zetsu must have grown wary of him and were keeping him under surveillance.
They obviously didn't want to see the alliance succeed. Akatsuki had already grown too large for their liking. They wanted to weaken the organization, not let it expand further.
Still, they wouldn't openly turn against Deidara and Nagato—not yet. They still needed Akatsuki's power to collect the Tailed Beasts.
Sending Tobi was a calculated move. The goal was to force Deidara to reveal his true abilities, exposing him within Konoha and sabotaging the alliance. This would leave Amegakure and Akatsuki to face the pressure of the major ninja villages alone.
"But Tobi can't use overly powerful Wood Release techniques. After all, everyone knows the limitations of Orochimaru's experiment subject."
"A small outburst of strength can be explained away, but anything too excessive would raise suspicions within Konoha."
"A ninja capable of wielding such powerful Wood Release would shake Konoha to its core, comparable to the death of a Hokage."
"That would lead to unpredictable consequences, something Black Zetsu wouldn't tolerate," Black Zetsu explained.
"So this is a battle where both sides are restrained. The battlefield is limited to this hospital, right? After all, if Deidara escapes outside, he can just fly away on his clay bird," White Zetsu remarked with interest. Having seen countless large-scale battles, he found this kind of constrained fight rather refreshing.
"Still, Tobi should win this one. In such a confined space, Wood Release is far more effective than Deidara's explosive art," White Zetsu speculated confidently.
"Let's hope so," Black Zetsu replied.
Inside the hospital, Deidara kept trying to break out, but the relentless Wood Release attacks forced him to run in circles, unable to escape.
"Rin, Kabuto, stay close behind me. The enemy's target isn't you, but they're clearly using you to hold me back," Deidara instructed.
"Lord Deidara! Don't worry!" Yueguang Rin stepped forward, holding a kunai to show her determination.
"No, Rin!"
"You and Kabuto are medical ninjas. Just focus on protecting yourselves."
"You know my abilities. If you stay too close, you'll only hinder me," Deidara said, waving her off.
Yueguang Rin bit her lip, clearly unwilling, but she relented. "Understood."
Once they had put some distance between themselves, Deidara reached into his clay pouches, his hands beginning to chew. This kind of restrained battle was truly frustrating.
Boom!
As if on cue, the Wood Release attacks intensified the moment Deidara began creating clay creatures. Countless wooden spikes erupted from all directions. If even one managed to pierce his body, it would sprout barbs that tore away chunks of chakra—an extremely lethal technique.
"C1 Special Type: White Ant Swarm!"
Deidara unleashed a swarm of clay white ants, which began gnawing away at the wooden spikes. At the same time, he spat out hundreds of clay butterflies, forming a protective barrier around the three of them. Any incoming Wood Release attacks would trigger the butterflies to self-detonate, reducing the wood to splinters.
Now, all he needed was to pick a direction and charge through with everything he had!
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
Explore More Amazing Fanfiction on My Patreon!
Unlock 30+ Advance Chapters and Enjoy Exclusive Stories Early!
��� patreon.com/GoldenLong