(For the sake of writing convenience, some less significant parts of the original storyline have been slightly adjusted.)
Why did I have to transmigrate at this moment? Deidara felt a deep sense of malice from the universe.
In front of him stood a man bathed in sunlight, exuding an aura of cold indifference like a god. His blood-red Three Tomoe Sharingan eyes stared unblinkingly at Deidara, his melancholic and thin face framed by the iconic black cloak adorned with red clouds. This man's identity was unmistakable.
Itachi Uchiha, the genius who, in the original storyline, would leave Deidara with a lifelong shadow.
"You've lost," Itachi said slowly, his voice devoid of emotion or fluctuation, as if he were stating a trivial fact.
"Don't joke with me!" Deidara, or rather the transmigrator now inhabiting his body, was filled with boundless rage at the near-humiliating disdain directed at him. After all, the original Deidara was just a 12-year-old boy, and even the transmigrator Deidara couldn't suppress the fury rising in his heart.
"I refuse to accept it! My art! My art is the strongest! How could I possibly lose to anyone else?!" Just as Deidara was about to erupt in a fit of hysteria, a sudden voice echoed in his mind, interrupting him.
"Ding! The Strongest Artist System has been activated."
"Host, please choose one of the following two paths."
"1. Face them head-on: Reject joining Akatsuki, return to Iwagakure, become the Tsuchikage, collect the Tailed Beasts, revive the Ten-Tails, summon Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, and defeat her to achieve peace."
"2. Endure humiliation: Agree to join Akatsuki, assist in collecting the Tailed Beasts, revive the Ten-Tails, summon Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, and defeat her to achieve peace."
Deidara: "..."
"System, you made me transmigrate to this point in time, and you think I actually have a choice?"
Currently standing before Deidara were not only Itachi Uchiha but also Sasori of the Red Sand, the strongest puppeteer who had single-handedly killed the Third Kazekage, and Kisame Hoshigaki, the Tailless Tailed Beast who had taken down the perfect Jinchūriki of the Eight-Tails. All three of them were watching him like hawks. Deidara couldn't possibly take on even one of them, let alone all three.
"Ding! Host, your argument is very reasonable."
"The system has automatically selected the 'Endure humiliation' path for you based on intelligent calculations."
"System panel unlocked!"
"Skill tree unlocked!"
Strongest Artist System Host: Deidara Shock Value: 0/1000 Skill Points: 1
"Host, as long as your art leaves others in awe, you can earn Shock Value. The stronger the individual you impress, the more Shock Value you'll gain. Once the Shock Value meets the requirements for an upgrade, you'll earn a Skill Point," the system explained in Deidara's mind.
"Brat, hurry up and make your decision! I hate waiting for people the most!" Before Deidara could carefully examine the skill tree, a low, gruff, and slightly raspy voice interrupted him.
The speaker was crouching on the ground in a strange position, revealing only a face partially covered by a mask that screamed "bad guy."
It was Sasori of the Red Sand who had spoken. As a transmigrator familiar with the storyline, Deidara knew that the reason Sasori looked so peculiar was that this body wasn't even human—it was a puppet, one of Sasori's masterpieces. Sasori himself was an impatient person who hated waiting for others even more than being made to wait.
"Well? Are you going to refuse?" Beside Sasori, Kisame Hoshigaki, with his shark-like face, slightly tilted his head and reached his right hand towards the hilt of Samehada on his back. His tone carried a hint of mockery, but the implication was clear: if Deidara refused, Samehada would likely come crashing down on his head.
"Hmph! It seems your Akatsuki organization has some reputation. In that case, I'll join. This way, more people will get to witness my art. Hm!" Deidara replied.
"Brat, what you have isn't art. True art is eternal!" Sasori immediately retorted.
"No! Art is the sublimation of a moment! Art is the fleeting beauty that vanishes in an instant! Art is an explosion!" Deidara declared.
Is the ninja world vast? Based on the original storyline, it's pretty big. But is it small? If a ninja traveled at full speed using various techniques, it actually wouldn't take more than a few days to traverse the nations.
Deidara, originally banished to the border regions of the Land of Earth by Iwagakure due to his obsession with explosive art, found himself near Akatsuki's nearest base in the Land of Waterfalls. At full speed, it would only take half a day to reach it.
But that wasn't going to happen. Akatsuki members were notorious for their leisurely pace, no matter the time or their strength. They always moved at a slow, unhurried pace, likely slower than some ordinary merchant caravans.
"Deidara, your art is quite convenient, isn't it?" Kisame Hoshigaki remarked as he leisurely walked beside Itachi Uchiha. He glanced up at Deidara, who was riding on a Clay Bird in the sky, and teased.
"Of course! My art is perfect! Hm!" Deidara retorted before focusing his attention on the system's skill tree. Since he had joined such a dangerous organization as Akatsuki, and considering the various crises and turmoil the ninja world would face in the future, strength was a necessity.
The system's skill tree was divided into four paths: Pyrotechnics, Morphology Optimization, Material Science (Clay), and Ninja Arts. Each path contained numerous advanced skills.
Pyrotechnics: Explosion Mastery Level 1 Morphology Optimization: Form Optimization Level 1 Material Science (Clay): Improved Clay Ninja Arts: Chakra Enhancement
These were the four foundational skills corresponding to the four paths. Explosion Mastery, Improved Clay, and Chakra Enhancement were self-explanatory, but Deidara wasn't quite sure what Form Optimization under Morphology Optimization entailed or what effects it would produce. Regardless, as an artist of explosions, the priority was to enhance the power of his explosions. Without hesitation, Deidara allocated his first Skill Point to Explosion Mastery Level 1.
Immediately, the skill beneath Explosion Mastery Level 1, which had been grayed out, revealed itself.
Explosion Mastery Level 1 → C2 Enhanced Great Dragon
Deidara recognized the C2 Great Dragon—it was one of his future signature moves, a massive clay dragon capable of splitting into smaller bombs for sustained bombardment. However, judging by the system's description, the unlocked version would likely surpass the original in power and complexity.
"By the way, if achieving peace is the goal, why not just deal with Obito Uchiha or Black Zetsu directly? Or hide one of the Tailed Beasts? Why go through the trouble of unsealing Kaguya Ōtsutsuki only to defeat her?" Deidara asked the system, puzzled.
"Host, don't forget that there are several other Ōtsutsuki lurking in the ninja world. Without leveling up through the Ten-Tails and Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, how will you fight them when they emerge in the future?"
"Moreover, if you prevent the original storyline's unsealing of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, you'll also block Naruto and Sasuke, the Children of Prophecy, from reaching their full potential. When that happens, you won't even have anyone to rely on. The ninja world might truly face extinction."
So, the only option is to bulldoze through the ninja world like in the original storyline, huh?
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