Let the World Feel Joy

"What the hell is a Leg Shadow? No, tell me why you came to Iwagakure! And what's that in your hand? What did you just do?"

Kurotsuchi floated in front of Shirozumi. First she looked confused, then she realized this wasn't the time to be curious and began interrogating him.

"Obviously, we came to rescue Deidara."

Shirozumi remained calm.

Time Deletion had one special property: during the period that was erased, Shirozumi couldn't affect external objects, and external objects couldn't affect him.

When a wandering samurai swung his sword at Shirozumi on the bridge in the Land of Waves, Shirozumi had activated Time Deletion. He hadn't needed to dodge at all. He simply passed through the blade and walked straight to safety.

That's right. It meant that no barrier or physical cage could hold Shirozumi.

When Nagato had hit him with Chibaku Tensei, even if Shirozumi hadn't awakened New Moon to reverse the gravitational pull, and even if Nagato hadn't dispelled Chibaku Tensei, Shirozumi could still have escaped from the sphere using Time Deletion.

So when faced with Kurotsuchi's concrete prison, Shirozumi had no need to dodge.

If he dodged, she'd just keep pursuing him. It would be a pointless waste of time.

Kurotsuchi, however, didn't know that.

Hearing Shirozumi say they'd come to rescue Deidara, she couldn't help laughing. "Hmph. You let me capture you so easily. What makes you think you can rescue Deidara?"

"Oh, right. There's one more question you haven't answered.

What was that thing you took out just now? What did you do with it?

Were you sending a message to the other members of your organization to ask for more help?"

Kurotsuchi leaned closer as she questioned him.

Shirozumi was encased in Lime Solidification Technique, with only his head exposed. Even if Kurotsuchi moved closer, there was no way for her to see what he was holding.

"A camera. I took a picture."

Shirozumi answered cooperatively as ever.

Kurotsuchi found it a little unsettling.

She'd never met anyone so spineless. Ask him about anything, and he'd just tell her.

"Taking a picture? What for?"

"To keep, and to gather some information while I'm at it. That way, people who don't know what the Tsuchikage's precious granddaughter looks like can find out."

"Gather information..."

Kurotsuchi's expression turned serious.

She ignored the word "keep."

She was wondering whether the other side had some scheme in mind now that they'd gathered information about her.

Was it aimed at her grandfather, Ōnoki, or at Iwagakure?

"Since you've been so cooperative, I'll free your hands from the Lime Solidification Technique and take the camera and the photo.

Don't think about taking the chance to form Hand Seals and fight back. I'll be ready. The next attack won't just trap you."

As she spoke, Kurotsuchi raised her right hand, preparing to press it against the rock solidified around Shirozumi and break part of it away.

However...

"Here, take it."

"Oh, sure."

Kurotsuchi accepted it without thinking.

Then her pupils shrank, and she quickly backed away from Shirozumi.

"You!"

Kurotsuchi stared in shock at the camera in her hand and the photo still sticking out of it. She couldn't understand how Shirozumi had escaped.

"Don't be scared. I'm not hostile."

Since his ability had already been exposed, Shirozumi simply stepped out of the Lime Solidification Technique.

In Kurotsuchi's eyes, Shirozumi's figure flickered, and he instantly appeared outside the prison.

Without Shirozumi controlling its gravity, the rock from the Lime Solidification Technique fell straight to the ground.

Only then did Kurotsuchi realize what had seemed off just a moment earlier. If she'd really trapped him, why had he and the Lime Solidification Technique kept floating in the air?

"Our organization loves peace. The words our leader says most often are, 'Let the world feel joy,' and 'Ninjutsu is meant to bring smiles to people's faces.'

If there are any jobs your Iwagakure can't handle publicly, or can't resolve, you can come to us.

If the job suits us, we can help—and we'll complete it, guaranteed."

Shirozumi wasn't saying all this for no reason.

The original story had clearly stated that Iwagakure had hired the Akatsuki Organization.

Apart from Kumogakure, the other ninja villages had only produced Rogue Ninjas whom the Fourth Raikage said he didn't trust. Iwagakure alone had actually hired them.

Why was that?

It was simple. All you had to do was look at how Ōnoki, Kurotsuchi, and the others from Iwagakure treated Deidara.

Iwagakure hadn't issued a wanted notice for Deidara, and Ōnoki and the others hadn't treated him like an enemy they'd fallen out with.

In Ōnoki's eyes, Deidara was just a rebellious kid.

If they really couldn't talk him out of it, fine. They could hire him directly and take the indirect route.

The Akatsuki Organization had worked as mercenaries for quite some time to gather funds. Ōnoki took advantage of that to hire Deidara.

As a result, Deidara had contributed more to Iwagakure as a Rogue Ninja than he had as an Iwagakure Ninja.

"So you're just mercenaries, then?"

Kurotsuchi looked unimpressed.

"Not the same thing. Mercenaries only care about money."

Shirozumi wagged a finger.

"Now you're getting picky... What the hell did you take a picture of?"

As she complained, Kurotsuchi took the photo out of the camera and glanced at it.

She instantly lost her composure.

Shirozumi had captured the perfect moment.

He'd taken the picture right before she was about to spit out the Lime Solidification Technique, making her whole face look like a chubby baby.

[Photo]

With a dark expression, Kurotsuchi tore up the photo, raised the camera, and took another picture of herself. Then she went over, intending to hand the new photo to Shirozumi.

"Ahem! Ahem! Ahem!"

Ōnoki, who'd been watching the show from behind, finally couldn't take it anymore.

Had his silly granddaughter forgotten something?

She'd thought the photo was information the other side had gathered and wanted to destroy it. But now she'd seen an unflattering picture of herself and had gone and taken a new one for him?

Don't ask why Ōnoki had only watched without moving.

As a Tsuchikage who'd lived through the founding era of the ninja villages, Ōnoki had plenty of battle experience. He'd seen from the start that Shirozumi wasn't actually trapped, but also didn't seem hostile.

Ōnoki suspected Shirozumi was merely bait to draw their attention, while someone else was preparing to take the chance to rescue Deidara.

So most of his attention was still on the cave—and on Deidara.

"The old man says you're getting on in years. Hurry up and retire."

Kurotsuchi heard Ōnoki coughing violently, but still didn't catch on. She tossed out the teasing remark she often used.

Ōnoki nearly passed out from anger.

"Shizun, stop!"

A hurried shout suddenly came from below.

Ōnoki froze for a moment.

Then he saw a kunai with an explosive tag tied to its tail pass through Shirozumi's head, arc through the air, and land on the ground, where it blew a crater into it.

"I was just wondering where to find a target. Didn't expect one to come straight to me."

Shirozumi smiled.

"Shizun, how could you act on your own?"

Kurotsuchi frowned.

Leaving aside the fact that Shirozumi's allegiance was still unclear, even if he really was an enemy, they should keep him alive to get information out of him.

"Easy. It's fine."

Shirozumi patted Kurotsuchi on the shoulder, then spoke toward the empty air above the cave. "Konan, you heard the name, right? Please pass the message back."

"So he really does have an accomplice!"

Seeing Shirozumi's actions, Ōnoki stood up from the rock wall.

He prepared to deal with whatever Shirozumi and the others were about to do.