Early the next morning.
Yuuki woke up early, checked out of his room, and then headed towards Iwagakure.
His Shadow Clone had once visited the Land of Earth, so he was very familiar with the route.
If possible, Yuuki still didn't want to alert Iwagakure; it wasn't that he was afraid of Ōnoki.
Yuuki couldn't defend against Dust Release, but Ōnoki also couldn't defend against his flames.
If the two truly fought, it would be a matter of who could hit whom, but Ōnoki's Dust Release had a wind-up, and he couldn't possibly match Yuuki's flying speed, so Ōnoki posed no threat in Yuuki's eyes.
But no threat didn't mean he could do whatever he wanted; secretly poaching talent without anyone knowing was both satisfying and free of future trouble.
If he were discovered, it would be uncertain whether Deidara, Ōnoki's disciple, would still go with him.
After all, in the original story, setting aside the intricate relationship between Ōnoki and the Akatsuki Organization, Deidara lived alone outside the Village for three years, and his relationship with the Village had weakened.
Coupled with the Akatsuki Organization's good relationship with Ōnoki, it's likely Ōnoki would have half-heartedly agreed.
After all, in Ōnoki's heart, couldn't Deidara still contribute to Iwagakure even within the Akatsuki Organization?
So, Yuuki felt that it was better not to be discovered if possible.
The Land of Earth has many mountains, but too little vegetation, resulting in bare, rocky mountains.
Today's weather was excellent, with bright sunshine and clear skies, and the scorching sun radiated heat from the stones.
The air was also distorted by the varying temperatures, a visible sign of the intense heat.
However, Yuuki was quite content; the climate of the Land of Earth was just right!
Today's weather was also exceptionally exhilarating!
In a large mountain outside Iwagakure.
"Hahaha! I succeeded! The C2 Dragon is finally a success!"
Deidara, who had recently turned 9 and was now 10 years old, possessed a very adorable and cute little face.
However, at this moment, his laughter revealed a fanaticism and arrogance unsuited for his age.
Deidara stood upon a giant white dragon made of clay, its wings flapping as it hovered in the air.
This was very unscientific, but very Chakra!
"Is this what flying feels like? It's simply... no wonder the old man hardly ever walks!"
Deidara couldn't describe the feeling of flying, only that it was too thrilling.
Even if Deidara was fanatical about explosions, he was still captivated by the exhilaration of flying the first time he soared through the sky.
There were no obstructions around, the boulders appeared significantly smaller than when viewed from the ground, and there was the sensation of a gentle breeze caressing his face.
Flying freely like a bird, moving unhindered anywhere in space—this is a common aspiration for humanity!
Deidara manipulated the giant dragon beneath him, performing various flight maneuvers.
He continuously ascended to high altitudes, glided, descended rapidly, swooped, flew randomly without pattern, and changed direction at will.
The wind whistled past, tousling his hair and making his clothes flap; this was freedom, a freedom that made one forget everything.
Deidara was momentarily immersed in the joy of flying, a feeling that those who cannot fly would never experience.
Just like Yuuki once was; after obtaining the 'Thunderbolt Fire' template and being able to fly within three days, Yuuki was almost intoxicated by the sensation of soaring through the blue sky.
It wasn't until dusk that Deidara finally stopped playing around, looking at the reddish western horizon.
Deidara created another small flying dragon, grasped its claws, and controlled the giant dragon beneath his feet to fly towards a mountaintop.
As the giant dragon approached the mountaintop, Deidara formed a single hand seal.
"Hah!"
A violent explosion, accompanied by fire and smoke, rose, followed by a huge boom.
Once the smoke cleared, Deidara looked at the mountaintop, which was now a little shorter, and nodded with satisfaction.
Hmm, my art has improved again!
Deidara, thoroughly pleased, hung beneath the small flying dragon and flew towards his residence.
Deidara didn't use the main entrance, landing directly in the courtyard and entering the house.
A very joyful Deidara returned to his residence, picked up the hastily made small flying dragon, and began to refine it.
Deidara's pursuit of Explosive Clay wasn't just about explosive power; it also included aesthetics.
Although ordinary people couldn't understand the aesthetics, it might be related to the backward state of Ninja World aesthetics.
Still in the primitive aesthetic stage of worshipping nature, Deidara's creations were basically various animals with slight modifications.
Deidara, who was fully concentrated on refining his artwork, suddenly heard a voice.
"Young man who loves art, come with me, I will let you master true art!"
Deidara, immersed in his own world, was interrupted and looked displeased; although the voice felt somewhat familiar, his actions were faster than his thoughts.
Deidara shouted as he turned his head towards the direction of the voice.
"My art is unique, no one understands it better than I do..."
But after turning his head, Deidara paused for a moment, muttering to himself.
"This is also... art...!"
The scene Deidara saw was precisely what Yuuki had meticulously designed from memory.
From Deidara's perspective, a figure appeared at the window, with golden-red light emanating from around the figure.
The figure was pure black, its exact appearance unclear, but the blood-red pupils in its eyes were clearly visible.
Yuuki watched his performance captivate Deidara, and a surge of joy filled him. To scheme so much against a small boy, especially one so innocent.
A hint of embarrassment flashed through Yuuki's heart but quickly vanished; everything was for Konoha!
Completely abandoning his sense of shame, Yuuki continued speaking, shamelessly activating a highly secretive genjutsu through light and sound.
"That's right, this is also art, but true art is..."
Yuuki paused slightly, and Deidara, already drawn in and guided by the genjutsu, involuntarily continued Yuuki's words, shouting.
Yuuki, with his Sharingan active, constantly monitored Deidara's every action. As Deidara was about to shout, Yuuki also spoke directly, their voices almost simultaneous.
"...Explosion!"
Deidara received affirmation from someone else for the first time!
This feeling of being affirmed was different from Ōnoki's care for him, and also different from Kurotsuchi's admiration for his talent.
It was a feeling of shared ideals, a satisfaction of the highest order.
After delivering his lines, Yuuki also stepped out precisely and perfectly, his footsteps perfectly synchronizing with Deidara's heartbeat.
He stopped at a position approximately 61 centimeters from Deidara.
Deidara clearly saw Yuuki's face, a familiar face with a brilliant smile, followed by a pleasant surprise!
His idol suddenly appeared before him, and his idol shared his ideals, and most importantly, everything was so perfect.
"Are you... Uchiha Tomoki?"
Looking at Deidara's expression, Yuuki instantly understood why. It seemed bringing the recording was an unnecessary precaution.
Yuuki's smile became even more enthusiastic as he said.
"It's me, Deidara, I came specifically for you, come with me!"
"Okay!"
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