This was Deidara's third visit to Konoha, and once again, the gatekeepers were the same two familiar faces—Kotetsu Hagane and Izumo Kamizuki.
For this Chūnin Exam delegation, Deidara was the official leader, with Sasori of the Red Sand as his deputy. Accompanying them were Kurotsuchi, Suigetsu, and Karin.
Initially, this group alone would have sufficed. However, if only three people participated in the Chūnin Exam while nine others came along to spectate, it would undoubtedly raise suspicions in Konoha. This wasn't some kind of "protagonist-harem" story; Konoha would immediately sense something was amiss.
Thus, five additional three-person teams were formed, bringing the total to six teams—eighteen participants in the exam. This arrangement allowed the other seven members of the Akatsuki to blend in inconspicuously.
After registering at the gate, the group was escorted by Koharu Utatane to the same inn they had stayed at during their previous two visits.
Don't ask why it was the same old woman or the same inn. The answer? Time loops.
"Deidara-nii, let's go explore the village!" Kurotsuchi exclaimed, practically clinging to Deidara.
"Alright, let's go," Deidara agreed, and the two left the inn together.
"Is there anything fun or delicious in Konoha?" Kurotsuchi asked, holding Deidara's arm as they strolled.
Deidara answered without hesitation, "Ichiraku Ramen, of course. It's the best place to visit in Konoha."
"Ramen? Is it really that amazing?" Kurotsuchi asked, skeptical.
"You'll see when we get there," Deidara replied confidently.
Having visited twice before, Deidara was already quite familiar with Konoha's layout. However, halfway to their destination, they encountered an unexpected situation.
A whiskered blonde brat, a cold-faced black-haired boy, and a pink-haired girl whose eyes sparkled as she gazed at the black-haired boy stood on one side.
On the other side were a dark-eyed boy with heavy eye bags and a gourd on his back, a delinquent with face paint, and a blonde woman with a bun and a giant fan strapped to her back.
Hmm. Familiar, isn't it?
Yes, it was none other than Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura facing off against the sibling trio of Gaara, Kankurō, and Temari.
"Huh? Wasn't Sunagakure destroyed? Why are there still people from the Sand Village participating in the Chūnin Exams?" Deidara muttered, puzzled.
Hearing this, the "sibling trio" immediately turned their angry gazes toward him. The most hot-headed among them, Kankurō, shouted, "Hey, you over there! Watch your mouth, or are you looking to die?"
Deidara's youthful appearance didn't help matters; he was only four years older than Naruto and Sasuke, and just two years older than Kankurō. It was no wonder Kankurō mistook him for another Chūnin Exam participant.
"Hey! What's with the attitude?" Kurotsuchi snapped back, glaring at Kankurō. "Deidara-nii was just stating the truth!"
"Hmph! Looks like I'll have to teach you a lesson today!" Kankurō growled, his temper flaring.
In truth, Kankurō wasn't usually this irritable. However, the destruction of their village and their subsequent displacement had left a permanent scar on their hearts. Having someone bring it up so directly was a blow to their pride, making it impossible to suppress their anger.
"Kankurō," Temari, the eldest sister, placed a hand on her brother's shoulder, signaling him to calm down.
As a sensitive woman, Temari experienced a constant sense of fear and unease after the destruction of their village. She didn't want to cause trouble, even if it meant enduring some humiliation.
"Don't worry, I'll handle this," Kankurō reassured her, his confidence stemming from the puppet on his back.
This wasn't just any puppet; it was a creation left behind by Sasori of the Red Sand. Though an early work of his, it was still a treasure most puppet masters could only dream of possessing.
And Kankurō didn't just have one; during their time as fugitives, he had trained relentlessly and could now control three puppets simultaneously, reaching a Jōnin-level of skill.
Thirteen years old and already a Jōnin—what did that mean? Even Konoha's genius ninja, Kakashi, had only become a Jōnin at the age of twelve!
"So, you're planning to use puppets?"
"Perfect. Aside from my art, the only other thing I happen to know is a little puppetry," Deidara said with interest, stepping forward.
Pulling Kurotsuchi behind him, he prepared to handle the situation himself. Spreading his ten fingers wide, Deidara shot out chakra threads, which wrapped around some nearby tree branches. In no time, he had fashioned a stick figure puppet out of twigs. Its left hand held half a wooden log as a shield, its right hand a sharp twig as a sword. Finally, a layer of leaves wrapped around it, giving the puppet a fuller, more three-dimensional appearance.
"Alright, let's see if you can handle my puppet," Deidara said with a smirk.
"It has a very impressive name: Susano'o!"
"What kind of ridiculous name is that? Don't insult the art of puppetry, you bastard!" Kankurō roared, furious. His anger was palpable, and not even Temari could hold him back this time.
The bandages covering Kankurō's puppet unraveled, revealing the three-eyed Crow. Its mouth opened, firing tiny needles—each one only a third the size of a standard senbon.
Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!
The needles struck the twig puppet's shield. Deidara leaned forward for a closer look and noted that the needles weren't poisoned.
"Looks like you're still holding back, even though you're angry," Deidara remarked.
"Stop talking, you bastard!" Kankurō shouted, sending Crow flying toward Deidara. The puppet's four arms extended, each wielding a sharp dagger aimed at Deidara.
"Behold my Totsuka Blade!" Deidara declared dramatically.
Instead of directly blocking Crow's daggers with the twig puppet's sword, Deidara manipulated the puppet to strike at the chakra threads controlling Crow's arms. With precision, he severed the threads.
"What?!" Kankurō gasped, shocked. Losing control of Crow's arms rendered his attack ineffective.
"How about that? Your junky puppet is no match for my Susano'o," Deidara taunted.
"I don't believe it! Let's go again!" Kankurō shouted, sending Crow back into the fray. This time, he had Crow circle around to avoid the twig puppet before launching an attack from behind.
After all, the twig puppet, being made of branches, couldn't match Crow's speed.
Clang!
Blades extended from Crow's ribs, gleaming menacingly as they closed in on Deidara.
"Another Totsuka Blade!" Deidara exclaimed, maneuvering the twig puppet to sever all of Kankurō's chakra threads in one swift motion. Crow fell to the ground, completely disabled.
"How... How is this possible? How are you so familiar with puppet techniques?" Kankurō asked, utterly stunned. This time, he had no choice but to admit defeat.
"Well!" Deidara said, dropping the pretense of being weak.
"It's because I'm good friends with Sasori-nii. I learned my puppet techniques from him."
"Oh, by the way, Sasori-nii's full name is Sasori of the Red Sand."
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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