"Brother Deidara, stop messing with your clay already! Come practice ninjutsu with me!" A pair of long legs suddenly appeared in Deidara's line of sight, kicking away the clay artwork he had been meticulously crafting.
Deidara sighed helplessly and looked up. "Kurotsuchi, could you be a little gentler?"
"I've been working on that all day—it wasn't easy, you know."
"I don't care! These things you make look so weird, I don't like them!" Kurotsuchi pouted. She still hadn't gotten over the horrifying sight from a few days ago, when Deidara had been developing his Flesh Colossus at home. Every time she came back, she was greeted by countless grotesque, fleshy creations.
It had truly sent chills down her spine.
"Alright, alright. Let's go," Deidara said, his expression growing even more resigned.
"Let's go!" Kurotsuchi exclaimed happily, grabbing Deidara's arm and dragging him out the door.
After walking for a few minutes, Kurotsuchi suddenly stopped. "Brother Deidara, wait here for a moment. I need to buy something."
"We're going to train, right? What could you possibly need to buy?" Deidara asked, puzzled.
"Just wait here, okay?" Kurotsuchi snapped before turning and walking away without looking back.
She quickly slipped into a corner, confirming that Deidara hadn't followed her. Then, she sprinted back home and, with a loud bang, kicked the door open.
"Brother Deidara!"
"I knew it! You sent a clay clone to brush me off again!" Kurotsuchi yelled, glaring at Deidara, who was sitting in the living room, still crafting his clay art. Her tone was filled with obvious dissatisfaction, and her voice grew louder.
"Ack! No, Kurotsuchi! This is the clay clone!" Deidara scratched his head awkwardly as he looked at the returning Kurotsuchi. Why did she always seem to have this instinct for surprise inspections? Was this some kind of innate skill women had?
"You're lying! This is definitely the real you, and the one outside is the clay clone!" Kurotsuchi crossed her arms, turned slightly to the side, and pouted.
"It really is the clay clone. Look." Deidara transformed his right hand into soft, pliable clay, trying to prove his innocence.
"That doesn't prove anything. Your real body can use Clayification too," Kurotsuchi said, refusing to be fooled by such a simple trick.
"Alright then, how do you want me to prove it?" Deidara asked, bracing himself.
"Stand still and let me hit you with my Lime Coagulation Technique," she suggested, casting him a sidelong glance.
Deidara broke out in a cold sweat. "No way! If you hit me with that, I'll solidify into cement—it'd be game over!"
Kurotsuchi shouted angrily, "So this is your real body! If it were a clone, you wouldn't be afraid!"
"Alright, I admit it," Deidara said, throwing up his hands in surrender.
"Looks like I'll have to use my real body to train with you today," he added, his tone filled with resignation.
Kurotsuchi's face lit up with a bright smile. "That's more like it, Brother Deidara!"
"Come on, we need to hurry."
The two of them rushed out the door again. Inside the house, another Deidara walked out, a smug smile on his face.
Heh, looks like I still came out on top!
Kurotsuchi and Deidara's "real body" arrived at the training grounds in the Hidden Rain Village. Kurotsuchi had specifically chosen a lake as their training site—it was the kind of terrain least likely to be damaged by ninjutsu.
"Brother Deidara, I'm coming at you!" Kurotsuchi crouched slightly, holding a kunai as she assumed a fighting stance.
"But you can't use your clay art," she added quickly.
"Hey! That's not fair!"
"Without my clay art, I only know a little taijutsu!" Deidara protested.
"Ninjas need to develop all-around skills. What's wrong with practicing your taijutsu now, Brother Deidara?" Kurotsuchi countered. Deidara had learned from Mei Terumī that arguing with women never led to anything good, so he didn't bother.
With a reluctant nod, Deidara prepared himself. Given Kurotsuchi's current strength, he figured he could handle her with just taijutsu.
"I'm coming, Brother Deidara!"
Kurotsuchi dashed toward him, her long, smooth legs moving swiftly. She aimed a punch at Deidara's chest.
"Earth Release: Stone Fist Technique!"
Seeing her fist enhanced with Earth Release, Deidara knew better than to block it head-on. He quickly retreated, but Kurotsuchi pressed forward relentlessly, throwing punch after punch. Deidara had no choice but to pull out a kunai to parry her Stone Fist attacks, which finally gave him some breathing room.
"Take this!" Kurotsuchi executed a spinning kick aimed at Deidara. He instinctively thrust his kunai forward, but when their eyes met, Deidara caught a glimpse of something unsettling in her gaze.
Forget it, not worth it.
Deidara withdrew the kunai and chose to block the kick with his arm instead.
"Ha!" Kurotsuchi's Stone Fist sent Deidara flying.
"Brother Deidara, were you just about to stab me with a kunai?!" Kurotsuchi narrowed her eyes, her tone turning dangerous.
"This is a sparring match, isn't it? Using a kunai is perfectly normal," Deidara replied.
"Even so, you can't point a kunai at me! Not under any circumstances!" Kurotsuchi said, her tone slightly domineering.
"Fine, how about I just stand here and let you hit me? I can Clayify, so physical attacks won't hurt me anyway," Deidara grumbled.
Seeing that her Brother Deidara seemed a bit annoyed, Kurotsuchi's attitude softened immediately.
"Brother Deidara~ Brother~ Don't be mad, okay? It was really dangerous just now—your kunai almost scratched my leg," she said in a deliberately sweet and coquettish tone.
Deidara shuddered, goosebumps rising all over his body. Every girl had her own unique style and charm, but when someone tried to imitate another's, it often came off as awkward and unsettling.
"Brother Deidara, try the lunch I made for you!" Kurotsuchi suddenly pulled out a lunchbox from who-knows-where.
Oh no!
Why did I take out the lunch so soon? Doesn't this reveal that I wanted to turn this into a date with Brother Deidara?!
Her face flushed red with embarrassment at her impulsive move. Deidara, however, didn't think too much of it. After all, Kurotsuchi was still just a kid—not even close to being as alluring as someone like Tsunade or Mei Terumī.
Peeking into the lunchbox, Deidara saw rice balls, sushi, and other simple dishes. Considering that Kurotsuchi was a noble's daughter who rarely cooked, this was already quite an effort. Usually, the two of them ate out or ordered takeout while living in the Hidden Rain Village.
"How is it? Is it good?" Kurotsuchi asked, popping a piece of sushi into Deidara's mouth.
Deidara nodded quickly. "It's delicious, really delicious."
Awkward!
This is just a clay clone! How would I know what it tastes like? Clay doesn't have taste buds!
But in moments like this, saying "delicious" is always the right choice.
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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