"By the way, the Flying Thunder God I mentioned just now is only one of our goals. While we're at it, I'll also help you get your hands on the training method for the Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tag, Konan."
"The Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tag?"
"That's right. Tobirama Senju was a master at creating forbidden techniques, but that's about all he was good at.
"Whether it's the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique, Impure World Reincarnation, or Flying Thunder God, other people have all used them better than the original creator.
"The Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tag is the only one no one has surpassed him in. It'll be perfect for you, Konan."
"I was wondering whether Konoha would really give in so easily."
The paper on Konan's cheek fluttered twice in the breeze.
"It's fine. Once Orochimaru's Konoha Collapse Plan begins, we'll go offer help when they're in need. They won't have a choice but to hand it over."
Bai Mo had already planned everything out. There was still some time before the Chunin Ninja Exams, so he hadn't gone into the details.
"Orochimaru? Oh, right. You said before that you wanted to bring him back into the fold."
Konan suddenly remembered what Bai Mo had mentioned earlier.
"He's planning to destroy Konoha?"
"...Wait, are you planning to stop Orochimaru from destroying Konoha?"
Konan looked surprised.
She was so surprised that she didn't even point out that what Bai Mo was describing wasn't "offering help when they're in need." It was more like "taking advantage of their misfortune."
"If Orochimaru succeeds in destroying it, what will Pain destroy next time?"
"..."
"Just kidding."
Bai Mo turned serious again. "Orochimaru doesn't have the power to destroy Konoha. At most, he can kill the Third Hokage."
"So you're going to save the Third Hokage?"
"Bingo. That's right."
"Let me list the combat power Konoha has lost during the Third Hokage's time in power."
"Kakashi's father, the Konoha White Fang, was driven to suicide by the public opinion of Konoha's naturally evil villagers."
"I won't even get into the Uchiha Clan as a whole, and Itachi doesn't count either.
"Fugaku, the Clan Head who possessed the Mangekyo, and Body Flicker Shisui. Forget the Mangekyo's abilities—if either of them had used Susanoo on the battlefield, combined with the Sharingan's ability to control Tailed Beasts, who could have stopped them?
"And there was no need to worry about their power growing beyond anyone's control. The Mangekyo gradually blinded its user the more they used it.
"But they did nothing, and then they were gone."
"The Yellow Flash, Minato Namikaze, and the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Kushina Uzumaki."
"Orochimaru, who defected."
"Hizashi, the younger brother of the Hyuga Clan Head."
"Even you and your people, Konan. If it weren't for Danzo, your impression of Konoha was still pretty good back then, thanks to Jiraiya. You could have become a force to help them at any time."
"All these examples I've given were directly or indirectly the result of problems with the Third Hokage's way of governing.
"If he'd managed to hold on to all that combat power, Konoha could have taken on the other four villages by itself."
"So do you understand now? If Orochimaru kills Hiruzen Sarutobi, the ones who should be most upset aren't Asuma Sarutobi or Konohamaru Sarutobi. It's the Kazekage, the Tsuchikage, the Mizukage, and the Raikage."
"Keeping Hiruzen Sarutobi alive will make it easier for us to develop."
"If any of the things I just mentioned happen again, we can take Konoha's place and bring those people over to strengthen ourselves."
As Bai Mo laid it out, Konan realized he was right.
For the first time, she realized that there were situations where an "enemy" could be more useful alive than dead.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was just like Salamander Hanzo, whom they had once admired.
Both had once held grand ambitions and possessed broad minds.
But as they aged, they had gradually grown content with merely scraping by.
"So that's what you call a stupid teammate... What was that term you used? A useless teammate."
Konan's mood gradually lifted, and the corners of her mouth turned up.
"...Yeah."
Bai Mo really wanted to make a snarky remark.
And she had the nerve to call someone a useless teammate.
If he hadn't reacted quickly and gotten lucky, he would've been sealed away by that useless teammate Nagato's Chibaku Tensei.
Though it was a seal that could be undone from the inside.
The Land of Earth lay in the northwest of the Shinobi World.
Its terrain was mostly rocky mountains.
The overall climate wasn't as scorching as the deserts of the Land of Wind. If anything, it was a little cool.
To the west of the Land of Earth lay the Land of Snow, blanketed in snow all year round.
Bai Mo and Konan arrived near the place where Deidara was trapped.
There was no need to contact Deidara to confirm it. Several squads of Iwagakure Ninja were already lying in wait beneath the area.
A cave opened in the towering cliff face, its entrance covered with a layer of white explosive spiders.
Deidara must have been hiding inside.
Tsuchikage Ōnoki had sent out Rock Clones to guard both sides of the cliff.
As the saying went, "A student can't break through the defenses of the master who taught him."
Deidara's current predicament was even worse: his opponent was his master.
Ōnoki knew every technique in Iwagakure's arsenal.
The Iwagakure Ninja below were there to stop Deidara from using Earth Release: Hiding Like a Mole Technique to burrow underground and escape.
Ōnoki himself was stationed above to stop Deidara from escaping through the air, and to try to convince him to return to the village.
Who knew how long this had been going on?
At any rate, Ōnoki hadn't said a word. He sat cross-legged on a jutting ledge with his eyes closed, as if he planned to fight Deidara in a battle of endurance.
A figure rose from the rocky mountain where Deidara was hiding and floated toward the cave entrance.
It was Kurotsuchi, using the Light-Weight Rock Technique.
"Kurotsuchi, don't go over there! That brat's covered the outside with bombs. Not just the ones you can see, either—there are plenty hidden inside the cliff."
Ōnoki opened his eyes and called out to his granddaughter, who had acted on her own.
"It's fine. I'm not going inside. I've watched you try to talk Deidara into coming back for days, old man, and it hasn't worked at all. I might as well give it a try."
Without looking back, Kurotsuchi waved at Ōnoki behind her and floated toward the cave entrance.
"Deidara, are you there?"
"No."
"..."
Kurotsuchi's mouth twitched as she hovered at the entrance. She felt her fists clench.
Still, she had to try to persuade him. She hadn't forgotten why she was here.
"There are a lot of your old teammates from the demolition squad down there. Aren't you going to come out and see them?"
Kurotsuchi called into the cave.
"Tch. They're not my teammates! They don't understand art at all. They treat art like a job—that's an insult to art! Hm!"
Deidara's voice came from inside the cave.
Clearly, trying to bring him back with talk of friendship and bonds wouldn't work.
There was no one in Iwagakure who could understand Deidara's art in the first place.
"Just because they use explosive ninjutsu doesn't mean Deidara considers them his teammates."
An unfamiliar voice came from behind Kurotsuchi.
Kurotsuchi turned around warily and saw a man hovering in the air as well.
He wasn't from Iwagakure. How was he floating?
Wait, he'd just mentioned Deidara...
Kurotsuchi recalled some of the information Deidara had accidentally let slip over the past few days, while they'd been chasing him down. For example, he'd joined an organization.
And he was contacting that organization to ask for help.
"Are you a member of that organization Deidara belongs to? Then you're not leaving today. Stay here with us!"
Kurotsuchi formed hand seals, puffed out her cheeks, and spat a great cloud of lime at Bai Mo.
"Boil Release: Lime Solidification Technique!"
Bai Mo made no attempt to dodge. He let the substance—whether lime or cement—splatter onto him and gradually harden.
During all this, Bai Mo did just one thing.
He pulled out some mysterious object and pointed it at Kurotsuchi.
Then he replied:
"Stay here to do what? Play Leg Shadow?"
Before you continue