"Is this Iwagakure?"
Genya sat on the cart, looking at the village ahead, a slight smile appearing on his face. "Onoki, here I come!"
Muttering to himself, the large group entered Iwagakure. As he observed the village's customs and surroundings, it struck him that it was quite similar to Konoha in its system.
The main difference was that the ninja here specialized in Earth Style techniques, so some of the buildings were made with earthen walls.
This matched the conditions of the Land of Earth.
"Genya-sama, we'll go handle the goods now. Please rest for a while in Iwagakure," one of the men escorting the cargo called out. They had things to take care of.
Genya nodded, signaling for them to go ahead. He could take some time to explore Iwagakure himself.
And so, Genya, along with Hikari and Uchiha Shin, wandered through Iwagakure, his eyes filled with curiosity.
He was still wondering if Deidara had been kicked out of the village, as the Merchant Association's intel hadn't provided that answer.
"Kurotsuchi... this experiment has succeeded!" As they walked ahead, Genya heard the voice of a boy.
"The clay bombs I've mixed this way, infused with my chakra, will explode with several times the power! How magnificent will that be as an art!"
Huh?
Hearing this, Genya raised an eyebrow and looked toward the source of the voice.
He saw a boy of about ten with blond hair, speaking excitedly and proudly about his accomplishments to a girl standing beside him.
"Deidara, what do you think you're doing? I told you, the village is not your personal lab. You'd better not perform those ridiculous experiments, or Grandpa Tsuchikage will scold you!"
The girl, with a tone of disdain, warned him. She was clearly telling Deidara not to go too far with his experiments!
Because Deidara had blown up the village multiple times with his explosive experiments!
Though they were always near where he lived, the constant explosions were becoming too much for the villagers to handle.
Everyone lived in constant fear.
"Art! What I create is art! Besides, this is my home. If it gets blown up, I'll just rebuild it!" Deidara was completely caught up in the excitement of his successful experiment and didn't listen to any warnings.
"I'll start by testing a few small battle spiders… and maybe add a rabbit too!"
As he spoke, Deidara casually flicked his hand, sending out several thumb-sized clay spiders.
Under his precise chakra control, the spiders moved as if they had minds of their own, scurrying toward a small earth-style house before crawling inside.
"This is bad!"
A young girl standing nearby saw the clay spiders enter the building and immediately sensed trouble. Kurotsuchi quickly formed hand seals.
In an instant, multiple earth walls rose from the ground, completely surrounding the house where Deidara planned his explosion. The sheer force of the jutsu was overwhelming!
"Szz… Is all this really necessary? Are a few tiny spiders that dangerous?"
Uchiha Shin, who had been following behind Genya, couldn't help but comment when he saw Kurotsuchi's serious expression.
He was surprised by her reaction. From what he gathered, those clay spiders were explosive, but could they really be more powerful than explosive tags?
He found it hard to believe.
At this point, Deidara's "art" was still unknown in the shinobi world, and his true moment of fame would come later—when he single-handedly hunted down Shukaku.
"Shin-san, don't underestimate this kid. His talent is incredible."
Genya spoke in a low voice beside him. There was something he didn't say out loud—he had come here specifically for Deidara. "He's… special."
"Huh? Talented?"
Uchiha Shin was taken aback. Lately, everyone Genya had recognized had proven their potential—Neji, Shou Kui, and even the Senju siblings.
It had been a while since Genya had praised someone's talent.
Yet now, this blonde kid had earned his approval.
BOOM!
While Genya and Uchiha Shin were talking, the ground trembled briefly, followed by a series of explosions, with the final one being especially deafening!
A mushroom cloud shot up into the sky!
The ground shook again and again, and the intense heat waves even surged out from within the earth wall shield, causing Genya to furrow his brow.
Boom~~
Finally, the earth wall shield, built from black soil, collapsed with a loud crash, and dust filled the air.
It was just a few clay spiders and a small rabbit, yet they had this kind of power.
Looks like I made the right choice coming here. Deidara really can cause a big explosion, but... there's still one condition—he needs further training!
"What incredible destructive power!" Uchiha Shin was also thoroughly shocked by the explosion. He had to admit, the strength Deidara showed was impressive.
Even if he's a bit reckless, his talent is undeniable.
Especially the explosive spiders and rabbit—these are autonomous objects, much more useful than detonating tags. Who knows how many more hidden tricks this guy has.
"Uh, seems like the power's a bit too much. Shouldn't have used the rabbit!" Deidara scratched his head and laughed awkwardly.
"Deidara," Kurotsuchi shot him a furious look, as if she wanted to tear him apart.
"Uh... I've got something to take care of, so I'm going to leave the village for a bit!" Deidara, noticing Kurotsuchi's glare, laughed nervously and waved his hand. A large clay bird appeared.
Deidara jumped onto the bird, intending to fly out of the village.
"Such a huge clay bird?" Uchiha Shin's eyes lit up as he looked at the enormous flying bird made of clay. "If it explodes, how powerful would it be? What if it was controlled to attack a village?"
The more he thought about it, the more dangerous Deidara seemed in Uchiha Shin's mind. If this little blond kid grew stronger, he could definitely make a name for himself in the ninja world.
And the most important part? The guy could fly!
Normally, ninjas are at a disadvantage when dealing with flying opponents, and it's even worse when that opponent can control explosive objects at will.
Uchiha Shin even started mentally simulating a battle with this guy. How would he defeat him? Genjutsu? Or maybe find a way to counter the explosive clay?
His mind was racing!
As he watched Deidara's bird fly further and further away, he was lost in thought.
"Uncle Shin, what do you think about bringing him into Atsukara?" Genya asked, still fascinated. His interest in Deidara never seemed to fade as he watched the young man's retreating figure.
Huh?
Genya's suggestion was unexpected, catching Uchiha Shin off guard! He couldn't help but speak up, "This kid has a lot of potential. He's the future of Iwagakure, but can the Tsuchikage really let him go? Besides... are you sure he'll follow you?"
Uchiha Shin knew that Genya had established Atsukara, but looking at Deidara, who seemed so reckless, he wasn't convinced that Genya could tame this explosive kid.
"How will I know unless I try?" Genya responded with determination.
As they talked, a voice, old and stern, suddenly rang out: "Deidara, you're causing trouble in the village again!"
At the sound of this voice, a small figure appeared, blocking Deidara's flying bird.
****
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