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***
Damn it!
Deidara gritted his teeth, his blue eyes fixed on Itachi, seemingly spitting fire.
No one had ever dared to disrupt his art.
Furthermore, he spoke to him in a tone that, to him, seemed almost contemptuous.
He then reached into the ninja tool pouch behind him.
"Are you angry?"
Itachi observed Deidara's gloomy expression, which was exactly the same as his memory.
In terms of technique, the young man before him was indeed a rare genius, but as Minato had said, Deidara possessed a rather paranoid side.
He called the explosive moments created by his ninjutsu the art of the moment.
Everyone in Akatsuki had their own unique way of thinking and operating principles.
Itachi hadn't paid much attention to these during his time in the organization, but he was generally aware of them.
This paranoia in Deidara's character was something he could exploit.
He mobilized his own chakra, his genjutsu ready to activate.
If Deidara moved any closer, Itachi could use a quick genjutsu to control him.
If that happened, Kurotsuchi and Haitsu alone would have no chance of harming Kuroishi Lei under the protection of Shikaku and his team.
Just as Deidara was seething with rage at Itachi's previous actions and words, Haitsu, hovering in the sky directly above Shikaku, glanced over.
He gazed at the black-haired boy protecting Kuroishi Lei, his brows gradually furrowing.
After a moment's thought, he suddenly looked back and shouted, "Retreat!"
However, Haitsu didn't immediately move from his position.
It was as if Deidara hadn't heard Haitsu's order to retreat.
Kurotsuchi paused, then noticed Deidara, who looked ready to explode.
"Brother Deidara, let's retreat first!"
She watched Izumi, Itachi, and Aoki Yui move, then quickly ran to Deidara's side and grabbed his arm.
At that moment, Deidara's hand, which had been reaching into his ninja tool pouch, emerged.
In his palm, a large amount of detonating clay had been formed into a starfish-shaped explosive.
The size of the explosive was equal to the diameter of the white bird that had initially attacked Itachi and his four companions.
"This chakra is bad! Everyone, retreat!"
Aoki Yui sensed that the chakra concentration contained in this starfish-shaped explosive far exceeded any of the ones Deidara had just unleashed.
Deidara lowered his eyes, contemplating the explosive he had created with his own hands.
A flicker of satisfaction flashed in his eyes, followed by a frantic, fiery, and obsessive passion.
Itachi and Izumi exchanged a glance.
The latter pulled up Kuroishi Lei, whose body had frozen like a statue, and retreated.
The former, still looking at Deidara, remained behind, but his body also quickly fell backward.
"Shikaku-senpai, we'll see you later."
Seeing this, Haitsu gave Shikaku a kind smile, but a sharp glint flickered in his dark eyes.
Shikaku frowned, glanced at him, and also retreated in the direction Itachi and his companions had gone.
"This time, crack it for me!"
Deidara suddenly raised his eyes and shouted at Itachi, then flung the explosive device out!
At the same time, Deidara held up his right index and middle fingers before his eyes, shouting enthusiastically,
"Show me my art!"
Crack!
A buzz!
The starfish-shaped clay explosive flashed with a dazzling white light.
The next moment, a startling explosion erupted, and the cliff face expanded violently like a tidal wave!
Boom!
The entire mountain seemed to be affected by the explosion, shaking violently.
The force of the explosion continued to spread, engulfing an area of the mountain wall dozens of meters in diameter in flames.
Swish, swish, swish!
A few seconds later, from the edge of the cliff, several figures leaped up one after another, leaping from the flames to the cliff on the other side of the valley.
Crossing the valley, just a few meters away, was no problem for the ninja.
And the figures of Haitsu, Deidara, and Kurotsuchi had already vanished.
Kuroishi Lei stared at the mountainside, completely engulfed in the flames of the explosion, his pupils constricted.
If it weren't for the protection of the Konoha ninja around him, he would have been instantly devoured by the blast, leaving no trace.
"Such astonishing destructive power."
Shikaku frowned.
He had experienced the Third Shinobi World War and was a veteran, but he had never seen a technique with such destructive power, solely through the power of an individual.
And the one who wielded such power was a mere nine-year-old boy with a paranoid mindset.
"What a terrifying guy!"
Izumi and Aoki Yui were still terrified by the explosion.
Itachi, knowing Deidara would become far more powerful than this, was much more indifferent.
But his expression was also slightly solemn.
Unlike Shikaku and the other two, the one who troubled Itachi wasn't Deidara, but the leader of Deidara and Kurotsuchi, the jōnin Haitsu of Iwagakure.
In the previous battle, while Itachi had indeed seen through their plan and preemptively detonated the explosive clay intended for the assassination of Kuroishi Lei, the situation didn't indicate Haitsu's team was at a significant disadvantage.
He also seemed to have seen through Itachi's provocation of Deidara and, out of caution, decided to retreat immediately.
Otherwise, if Deidara had gotten any closer, Itachi's plan would have succeeded.
The fact that the Third Tsuchikage appointed Haitsu as the jōnin captain of Deidara and his granddaughter spoke volumes about the young man's abilities.
Of course, these thoughts were based on Itachi's inability to display his full strength in front of Shikaku and the others.
Otherwise, he could easily dispatch the three Iwagakure ninja alone.
Beside Itachi, Shikaku looked at Aoki Yui, who shook her head and said, "I can't sense the chakra of those three anymore. They must be blocked."
Haitsu was also a sensory ninja, so he could naturally block his chakra and that of Deidara and Kurotsuchi.
"It seems the trouble isn't over yet."
Shikaku sighed softly, turning to Kuroishi Lei and offering a reassuring look.
"But please, Mr. Kuroishi, the Konoha ninja will absolutely complete your request and escort you safely to the Land of the Forest to complete the negotiations."
"Well, thank you very much."
Kuroishi Lei nodded at Shikaku, then looked back at Itachi, Izumi, and Aoki Yui, his expression slightly ashamed.
"I apologize for my earlier attitude!"
His expression was sincere.
He had always underestimated the seemingly fragile Aoki Yui, and the children Itachi and Izumi.
But through the battle just now, Kuroishi Lei has already understood that the strength of a ninja has no direct relationship with age.
The several ninja sent by the Hokage of Konoha for his escort mission are indeed very excellent.
"You don't have to take it to heart."
Izumi smiled gently at the client Kuroishi Lei.
With her personality, she would not care about these things.
"Don't mind it."
Aoki Yui also chuckled.
Itachi nodded, and then noticed that Shikaku was staring at him.
"What's wrong? Shikaku-sensei."
Itachi looked at Shikaku and asked.
Shikaku looked at Itachi and said in a very serious tone.
"Your tactical thinking just now was perfect."
...
"But what I want to know is, if Haitsu hadn't issued the order to retreat, what would your next plan have been after provoking Deidara?"
Shikaku changed the subject.
Haitsu could tell Itachi was deliberately provoking Deidara, and Shikaku had naturally noticed it.
Itachi had handled every detail of the fight perfectly.
He had used his unfamiliar Lightning Release: Thunderbolt to break the opponent's Earth Release ninjutsu.
With the perceptive power of his Sharingan, he had seen through the enemy's hidden moves before Aoki Yui.
In the process, Itachi confirmed what Minato had described in the report: Deidara's personality was indeed extremely paranoid.
He wouldn't tolerate anyone questioning his explosive clay.
Itachi had deliberately provoked Deidara, hoping to expose his weaknesses.
"As expected," Itachi muttered to himself, looking at Shikaku.
Unlike Haitsu, who merely harbored doubts, Shikaku had truly seen through Itachi's intentions.
In front of Shikaku, Itachi couldn't make excuses.
That would reveal flaws and raise suspicions.
So, he answered truthfully, "Use genjutsu."
"Have you learned genjutsu, too?" Shikaku asked.
He hadn't seen Itachi use his full strength since the graduation test.
In the two months since graduation, Itachi's strength had undoubtedly increased tremendously.
He was already wielding the Sharingan, activated only a month ago, with perfect precision.
Itachi's moves were even more powerful than before.
Shikaku wasn't surprised by this, as he had long known Itachi's extraordinary talent.
"Of course, my genjutsu might not succeed, and this plan has risks." Itachi added.
He deliberately revealed a flaw to Shikaku.
"Yes." Shikaku nodded.
The risk was real, but if he were Itachi, he would have done the same.
There was no better way.
"Who's that young black-haired girl? She's so young, yet so powerful," Izumi exclaimed in amazement.
Even with her Sharingan activated, she couldn't guarantee she could handle Kurotsuchi's moves.
Aoki Yui's face lit up with approval at Izumi's words.
Itachi remained silent.
Shikaku looked at the two girls and said, "That young girl is a chūnin from Iwagakure."
"She must be the granddaughter of the Third Tsuchikage, Kurotsuchi."
He had clearly deduced Kurotsuchi's origins.
Kurotsuchi might be young, but her talent was certainly rare.
However, this wasn't enough to justify special attention from Shikaku or jōnin from other villages.
Shikaku knew her origins because of the Third Tsuchikage himself.
The Five Kage of the Five Great Ninja Nations stand at the pinnacle of the ninja world.
Within each nation's intelligence networks, not only the Kage but also their families receive significant scrutiny.
Take, for example, Minato, the Fourth Hokage, whose son Naruto is only five years old this year.
His name is known not only to the higher-ups of other nations but also to many jōnin from various villages.
Upon learning Kurotsuchi's origins, Izumi and Aoki Yui were naturally shocked.
"But I didn't expect you two to be so formidable," Aoki Yui said, her expression calming.
She glanced at Itachi and Izumi, slightly surprised.
Their combat awareness and tactical coordination belied that of freshmen who had graduated from the ninja academy two months earlier.
"As expected of a jōnin like Shikaku-senpai and geniuses from the Uchiha clan."
She attributed Itachi and Izumi's prowess to their Uchiha lineage and Shikaku's guidance.
"Alright, let's seize this opportunity while the enemy is retreating and hurry on," Shikaku interrupted.
While Haitsu and the others wouldn't abandon their mission easily, they likely wouldn't return immediately.
They had to seize this opportunity and race to their destination.
"Yes!"
Itachi, Izumi, and Aoki Yui regained their composure.
Immediately, the five of them rushed toward the valley's exit.
Whoosh!
Several kilometers from the valley where the battle had erupted, over the dense forest...
Haitsu, holding Deidara and Kurotsuchi in each hand, flew low over the trees.
He swooped between two large trees and landed on the forest floor.
He released his grip, setting them both down.
Kurotsuchi landed lightly.
Deidara, with a look of discontent, turned to Haitsu and asked, "Why are we retreating?"
"With my art, do I fear the ninja of Konoha?"
Deidara had never encountered a situation like this since leaving the village.
What infuriated him more was that his own jōnin had retreated so decisively, even before facing defeat.
He folded his arms, turned his head, and snorted, "Has the old man gotten too old to send you on this mission?"
"Are Konoha's ninja that formidable?"
"Those guys aren't the Yellow Flash of Konoha."
Deidara was aware of the order issued by Iwagakure during the Third Ninja World War.
In his opinion, Ōnoki, as Tsuchikage, issuing such a spineless order to the village's ninja was a disgrace to Iwagakure's ancestors.
The Raikage of Kumogakure was equally incompetent in his view.
Haitsu, accustomed to Deidara's temper, wasn't angry.
"Putting aside Nara Shikaku, you fought those two Konoha Uchiha ninja."
"You should know they, like you, are no ordinary youths," Haitsu said.
His expression grew heavy.
Kurotsuchi nodded and said, "Indeed, those two both possess the Sharingan and are quite powerful."
"Their tactical coordination is incredibly synergistic, rivaling that of Deidara and me."
"When did Konoha have such formidable individuals?"
Though young herself, she noted Izumi and Itachi couldn't be much older.
Surprisingly, their intelligence contained no information about them.
Iwagakure had always valued the talents of various nations, especially Konoha's new generation.
"The only explanation is that they recently graduated from the ninja academy," Haitsu said, narrowing his eyes.
Iwagakure, along with Kumogakure, Sunagakure, and Kirigakure, modeled their ninja academies after Konoha.
Thus, each nation knew the dates for Konoha's academy admissions and graduations.
"New students?"
Kurotsuchi exclaimed, surprise in her large eyes.
"Tsk, what's so great about that?"
"If you hadn't stopped me, I would have blown them to pieces," Deidara sneered.
"Haven't you figured out that the boy was deliberately provoking you?" Haitsu frowned.
"I don't know what he planned next, but you were certainly impulsive."
"So what?"
Deidara looked unconcerned.
Though he had a paranoid streak, as a disciple of the Third Tsuchikage, he wouldn't be easily manipulated.
"Before my explosive clay, he'll just run around like a rat!"
Deidara scoffed.
Even if he'd fallen for Itachi's tricks, such tactics were meaningless against absolute power.
His delicate face was filled with pride.
"Next time, I'll blast all those Konoha ninja to pieces."
"My explosive clay is the most extraordinary art in the world!"
....
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