Naruto: I'm in Konoha, my name is Uzumaki Menma

Chapter 363 Deidara's Squad

Outside the Tsuchikage's office building in Iwagakure Village.

Huang Tu walked out of Tu Ying's office, his face filled with an unyielding solemnity.

His rugged face was already serious, but now his brows were furrowed into a deep frown, and every step he took was exceptionally heavy, as if an invisible rock was pressing down on his shoulders.

"Senior brother, don't worry too much." Chi Tu's deep, muffled voice came from beside him.

Chitu was short and stocky, like a piece of granite that had been forged through countless trials, and his round face always wore an honest and reliable expression.

He patted his muscular arms, trying to make his voice sound more confident: "Our teacher is the 'Two-Scales' Onoki! He's weathered more crises than we've ever been on the road, so he'll definitely figure out a solution this time too. Hmm!"

Huang Tu stopped and looked at his junior brother, who was hailed by Iwagakure as the "Shield of the Earth Shadow with unparalleled strength".

Chi Tu may not be as shrewd as I am in terms of strategy, but his tenacity, loyalty, and composure in the face of adversity always give people a sense of security.

But the wrinkles between Huang Tu's brows did not ease. He sighed, "That's true, but this time... the pressure from the Star Kingdom is too great. Those 'advisors' they have stationed in the village are not just for show. This decision by the old man is quite risky."

He paused, his tone filled with more helplessness and headache: "Forget about that, I'll go get Deidara out of his solitary confinement. His term is up today. Hopefully, this month will make that brat... behave a little bit."

Speaking of Deidara, Akatsuchi's honest face showed a wry smile, and his thick, short eyebrows drooped: "Deidara... I hope so. But senior brother, I think it's more realistic to hope that his Explosion Release won't explode than to hope that he'll behave himself. Hmm."

The two exchanged a glance, both seeing the same helplessness in each other's eyes, and then walked side by side toward the village's designated detention area for ninjas who violated the rules.

Huangtu is the son of the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, and a pillar of Iwagakure, responsible for a large number of practical matters in the village; Akatsuchi is Onoki's personal disciple and bodyguard, with a gentle personality but outstanding strength.

These two brothers, one focused on internal affairs and the other on external protection, were the cornerstones supporting the stability of Iwagakure. However, they both felt powerless in the face of their junior brother, who was like a ticking time bomb.

Deidara was supposed to have been defeated by Itachi Uchiha two years ago and then brought to join the Akatsuki organization.

However, with the gentle flapping of fate's butterfly wings, many people's trajectories have changed, and this genius boy who loves explosions is still "protected" in Iwagakure Village.

Deidara's talent is beyond doubt, especially in the development and application of Explosion Release, making him arguably the most outstanding genius in Iwagakure in decades.

Onoki has lamented more than once in private that Deidara should have become a key trump card for Iwagakure's future.

However, Deidara's extremely flamboyant personality, his fanatical worship of so-called "fleeting explosive art," and his disregard for village rules made him the most troublesome problem for the Iwagakure leadership.

Onoki valued Deidara's talent and, under the growing shadow of the Land of Stars, saw the potential strategic value of Deidara's "destructive power".

Therefore, he chose the most stringent method of "protection".

On the one hand, they hoped to temper Deidara's lawless nature; on the other hand, and most importantly, they wanted to keep this dazzling yet dangerous "bomb" out of the sight of the Star Country's military advisory group stationed in Iwagakure.

Before the two even approached the drab, reinforced rock-built cell, a muffled "bang!"—not particularly loud, but clear enough—came from inside the building.

The footsteps of Huangtu and Chitu stopped simultaneously, and their hearts skipped a beat.

Then came the second and third sounds!

The sound wasn't loud, but it carried a peculiar rhythm, as if...some kind of celebration?
"That brat..." Huang Tu's temples began to throb.

Before they could quicken their pace, the heavy stone door of the detention center was suddenly blasted open from the inside by a gust of air, and thick, grayish-white smoke billowed out.

Amidst the wide-open eyes of Chitu and the murderous gaze of Huangtu, a large bird, roughly sculpted from white clay with a wingspan exceeding three meters, carrying a figure with long golden hair, wobbled yet moved at a considerable speed as it rose from the smoke!

"Hahaha! Art is an explosion! Drink!"

A familiar yet infuriating burst of maniacal laughter echoed from mid-air.

Deidara stood on the back of a giant clay bird, his dazzling golden hair tied into a short ponytail at the back of his head, his bangs fluttering in the air, a miniature telescope in his left eye, and an almost manic smile of excitement on his face.

He looked down at the guards and two senior brothers who had rushed over upon hearing the commotion. Instead of showing any fear, he spread his arms wide with a smug look, as if enjoying the free air of his successful "escape."

"Deidara!" Akatsuchi roared, head tilted back, "Get down here now!"

The surrounding rocky ground seemed to tremble.

Deidara picked at his ear, looking completely unconcerned.

In the entire Hidden Stone Village, apart from that old man who can fly, knows Dust Release, and has a temper harder than stone, who has Deidara ever been afraid of?
He manipulated the giant clay bird to lower its altitude, allowing himself a clearer view of his two senior brothers' ashen faces, and his smile widened: "Hey! Aren't these Senior Brother Yellow Earth and Senior Brother Red Earth? Here to pick me up from confinement? How touching! But no need to trouble yourself, I've already 'got out' in my own way! Hmm!"

He deliberately imitated Akado's verbal tic, which elicited even heavier breathing from Akado below.

Huang Tu suppressed the urge to use Earth Release: Earth Release to slap this brat down, took a deep breath, and said in as calm a tone as possible, "Deidara, stop fooling around! The Tsuchikage wants to see you, immediately!"

"The old man is looking for me?" Deidara raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise flashing across his face, but it was quickly replaced by intense interest.

He stood on the bird's back, hands on his hips: "Finally remembered to promote me? Hmph, it should have been done a long time ago! With my strength, I'd be more than qualified to be a Jonin! Hmm!"

Despite saying that, he still controlled the giant clay bird to begin its descent.

After all, he was still a little intimidated by Onoki's fists and Dust Release techniques.

The clay giant bird vanished with a "poof" sound, turning into a puff of white smoke. Deidara landed lightly on the ground and dusted himself off.

He swaggered over to the red and yellow clay, hands casually tucked into the specially made clay bag at his waist. "Come on, come on, don't keep the old man waiting. What does he want with me? Is there some exciting mission? Hmm?"

Huang Tu was furious at his nonchalant attitude, but remembering his father's instructions, he suppressed his anger and said, "It's important business. It's about the Chunin Exams that will be held in Konoha soon."

"The Chunin Exams?" Deidara's eyes widened in confusion, but he quickly scoffed, "Tch, what's the point of the Chunin Exams? It's just a bunch of kids playing house. Hmm."

Despite this, he didn't stop walking and followed his two senior brothers toward the Earth Shadow Office Building.

Akatsuki chimed in, his voice muffled, "This time it's different. The teacher will let you participate. Hmm."

"Oh?" Deidara finally became genuinely interested.

Having been imprisoned for so long, he was itching to get his hands dirty and would seize any opportunity to leave the village, especially one that would allow him to showcase his "art."

"How are they different? Tell me about it."

Huang Tu glared at him: "When we get to the office, the old man will tell you. Watch your mouth, and watch your clay!"

Deidara shrugged indifferently, whistled, and looked around at the long-unseen village scene.

Iwagakure remains predominantly gray-brown, with rugged and sturdy buildings. Most of the ninjas walking the streets have calm expressions, exuding the resilient spirit unique to the Land of Earth.

But Deidara felt that compared to two years ago, there seemed to be a bit more tension in the village. Especially when passing by the newly built complex of buildings at the village entrance, which was clearly different in style from Iwagakure, he could sense that both Huangtu and Chitu had subconsciously quickened their pace and their expressions had become more serious.

That is the headquarters of the Star Kingdom's military advisory group stationed in Iwagakure.

'The Land of Stars…' Deidara murmured the name in his heart, a hint of eagerness flashing deep in his golden eyes.

He had heard of this country, of the man known as "Shura," and of their strange and powerful puppets and scientific ninja tools.

Will his clay explosion be able to destroy those iron lumps?

He wanted to try it.

Soon, the three arrived at the top floor of the Tsuchikage's office building.

Just as Huang Tu raised his hand to knock, Deidara impatiently clicked his tongue, pushed the door open, and swaggered in, yelling, "Old man! I'm here! You've locked me up for so long, if you don't give me some decent compensation, I'm going to come to your office door every day and release my 'little birds'!"

The two figures behind him, Akatsuchi and Yotsuchi, simultaneously covered their faces, their thick eyebrows twitching in unison. In the entire Hidden Stone Village, besides this arrogant brat, there was probably no one else who dared to speak to the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, like that.

In the office, the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, was not sitting in his usual Tsuchikage chair. Instead, his short body floated in mid-air, his hands behind his back, staring out the window in a daze.

Upon hearing Deidara's voice, he slowly turned around. His wrinkled, imposing face remained expressionless as he glanced at Deidara and coldly snorted, "Disrespectful! A month of confinement seems too lenient!"

Deidara casually picked at his ear, but soon his attention was drawn to two other people in the office.

Not only him, but Huang Tu and Chi Tu, who followed in, also looked at the two men, their faces showing obvious doubt and scrutiny.

They were a man and a woman, both very young, and looked to be around the same age as Deidara, or even a little younger.

However, their temperament is completely different from that of the ninjas commonly seen in Iwagakure.

The man was short for Iwagakure, but he had a robust frame, giving him a strong and sturdy appearance.

He had medium-length brown hair, with long bangs that almost covered his right eye, leaving only his equally brown left eye exposed. His gaze was calm, even somewhat vacant.

He wore a slightly worn dark red uniform, similar in style to the uniform of the Tsuchikage Guard, but with differences in details. The cuffs and collar were embroidered with the Iwagakure symbol, but the color was darker, as if it had been soaked in something.

He stood there quietly, like a lifeless rock, his breath barely audible.

The young girl, however, was even more eye-catching.

She wore an elaborately designed pale purple Gothic dress with delicate lace embellishments on the hem, a black ribbon tied at the neckline, and matching little leather shoes.

She had short, soft, light blonde hair that was neatly trimmed, and large, bright purple eyes that lacked liveliness, like two delicate amethysts.

Her face was extremely delicate and beautiful, her skin was so white that it was almost transparent, and her hands, from her wrists to her elbows, and most of her face below her nose were completely wrapped in white bandages.

She stood there quietly, her hands folded in front of her, her posture like a doll displayed in a doll shop window—beautiful, but lifeless.

Neither Huangtu nor Chitu had ever seen these two people in the village before.

They lacked the travel-worn look common among Iwagakure ninjas or the composed gravitas of Earth Release practitioners; instead, they exuded an inexplicable sense of incongruity and mystery.

Onoki floated in front of Deidara, blocking his view of the two men, and said in a deep voice, "Since you're both here, it's a good opportunity to get to know each other."

He pointed to the brown-haired boy: "His name is 'Sora'."

He then pointed to the girl dressed in gothic attire: "Her name is 'Yumu'. They are my last disciples whom I have taken in over the past few years."

"A closed-door disciple?" Deidara finally shifted his gaze from the girl named Kirara, who looked like a doll, and looked at Onoki with a face full of suspicion and curiosity.

"Old man, when did you take on two apprentices? And..." He glanced at the two of them again.

"They look... kind of strange."

Sora and Mica did not react to Deidara's evaluation.

Sora simply bowed his head slightly, his voice flat and emotionless: "Hello, Senior Deidara."

Kirara gently curtsied, performing a slightly stiff and rigid greeting. Her purple eyes looked at Deidara, yet seemed unfocused, and her voice was soft but lacked inflection: "Hello, Deidara-senpai."

Their reaction deepened Deidara's suspicions.

These don't look like junior brothers and sisters at all.
It's almost like... a puppet with a pre-programmed sequence.

But the thought only flashed through Deidara's mind; he was more concerned with other things.

He turned to Onoki and pressed, "Alright, alright, we've met. Old man, let's get down to business! What's the Chunin Exams all about? You're not really planning to make me participate in that boring game, are you? Hmm?"

Ōnoki did not answer Deidara immediately, but floated back to his seat, his gaze slowly sweeping over the four people in front of him.

The steady and reliable eldest son, Huang Tu; the honest and tenacious disciple and bodyguard, Chi Tu; the unruly yet incredibly talented troublesome disciple, Deidara; and...

His gaze lingered briefly on Kong and Yunmu, a complex emotion flashing deep in his eyes.

"Listen up, everyone." Onoki's voice wasn't loud, but it carried the unique authority of the Tsuchikage, echoing in the stone office.

"This Chunin Exams held by Konoha is different from any previous one. Not only will many small ninja villages participate, but Kumogakure and the Land of Stars will also send teams. The Land of Stars has requested that we also send a small team."

"The Land of Stars? So many ninjas from various villages are taking the exam?" Deidara's eyes lit up, and an excited smile appeared on his lips.

He's an arrogant person, and if he could unleash his explosive art in front of so many ninjas!
Exciting to think about!
The expressions on the faces of those from the loess and red soil were even more somber.

The political significance and potential risks of this exam far exceed those of ordinary ninja promotion assessments.

Onoki continued, "Therefore, Iwagakure will not only participate, but also field its strongest lineup and achieve the best results!"

"Red soil."

"Yes, teacher!" Akatsuchi immediately straightened his back, his honest face full of seriousness.

"You will be the Jonin leading the team, responsible for all matters and safety of the three of them during the exam," Onoki said, pointing to Deidara, Sora, and Kirara.

Akatsuchi nodded emphatically: "Understood! Mission accomplished! Hmm!"

Deidara pursed his lips, having no objection to Akatsuchi leading the team. Although this senior brother was a bit long-winded, his strength and sense of responsibility were beyond reproach.

What he cared more about was: "The three of us? Old man, you mean, you want me to team up with these two... um, new junior brothers and sisters?"

“That’s right.” Onoki looked at Deidara, his gaze sharp: “Deidara, your mission is to demonstrate your strength as much as possible during the exam and defeat the genin from other villages, especially those from the Land of Stars!”

"I want you to find out exactly what their new generation of ninjas are capable of!"

"Hehe, I like this!" Deidara licked his lips, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit: "Use the art of explosion to send those arrogant brats flying into the sky! Hmm! Mission accomplished!"

“That’s not all.” Onoki’s voice was even deeper: “Demonstrating strength and gathering intelligence are twofold. Secondly, I want you to carefully observe the performance of the younger generation from Konoha, Kumogakure, and all the participating ninja villages.”

"Their potential, fighting style, potential assessment... all this information must be brought back in as much detail as possible. This is not just an exam, understand?"

"Understood!" This time, even Deidara put away his playful laughter. Although he was still excited, there was a hint of seriousness in his eyes.

He might be rebellious, but he wasn't stupid. He knew that the old man was serious this time and had made a big bet.

“Sora, Kira.” Onoki looked at the young boy and girl.

"Yes, teacher (Tsuchikage-sama)." The two responded simultaneously.

"Your mission is to cooperate with Deidara to ensure the mission is completed. Also, during the exam, do not reveal your full abilities unless absolutely necessary." Onoki's gaze lingered on Sora and Kirara for a moment.

"Yes," Kong replied briefly.

Yunmu nodded gently, her purple eyes lowered: "Yummu understands."

Onoki's gaze swept over the four of them one last time, and he slowly said, "Go back and prepare. Akatsuchi, the detailed itinerary and intelligence scroll will be given to you by Hijikata later. Remember, you represent not only yourselves, but also the future of Iwagakure. You represent the Will of Stone!"

"Yes!" the four replied in unison, each with a different expression.

Deidara exuded eager excitement, Akatsuchi displayed a calm and unwavering sense of responsibility, Sora displayed expressionless obedience, while Kirara's delicate face remained devoid of emotion, except for a fleeting, extremely subtle ripple in her amethyst-like eyes.

(End of this chapter)