Let the World Feel Joy

"What is Leg Shadow? No, state your purpose for coming to Iwagakure! And what is that in your hand, what did you just do?"

Kurotsuchi floated in front of Shirozumi, her initial confusion giving way to the realization that now was not the time for curiosity. She began to interrogate him.

"Our purpose is naturally to rescue Deidara."

Shirozumi remained calm.

Time Deletion had a characteristic: during the period of deletion, Shirozumi could neither affect external objects nor be affected by them.

On the Great Naruto Bridge, when the wandering samurai swung his sword at Shirozumi, after activating Time Deletion, Shirozumi didn't need to dodge. His body passed through the blade, and he walked directly to a safe position.

That's right, this also meant that there was no barrier or physical cage that could trap Shirozumi.

Previously, when hit by Nagato's Chibaku Tensei, even if Shirozumi hadn't awakened New Moon to reverse gravity, and Nagato hadn't dispelled Chibaku Tensei, Shirozumi could still escape the sphere of Chibaku Tensei using Time Deletion.

Therefore, facing Kurotsuchi's concrete cage, Shirozumi saw no need to dodge.

If he dodged, she would pursue, a meaningless waste of time.

However, Kurotsuchi didn't know this.

Upon hearing Shirozumi say he was there to rescue Deidara, she couldn't help but laugh, "Hmph, if you were caught so easily, what ability do you have to save Brother Deidara?"

"Right, I still have one question you haven't answered.

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

Were you sending a message to other members of your organization to ask for reinforcements?"

Kurotsuchi leaned in to ask.

Shirozumi was currently wrapped by the Lime Solidification Technique, with only his head exposed. Even if Kurotsuchi got close, she couldn't tell what was in his hand.

"A Camera, I took a photo."

Shirozumi answered very cooperatively.

This made Kurotsuchi somewhat unaccustomed to it.

—She had never met such a spineless person. Why did he spill all the information just by asking?

"A photo? What for?"

"For collection, and to gather intelligence, so those who don't know the Tsuchikage's precious granddaughter know what she looks like."

"Gathering intelligence..."

Kurotsuchi's expression turned serious.

She completely ignored the word "collect."

She was now wondering if the other party collecting her information was part of some conspiracy.

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

"Since you're cooperating so well, I'll release you from the Lime Solidification Technique on your hands and take the camera and photos.

Don't even think about using the opportunity to form hand seals and counterattack. I'll be prepared, and the next attack won't just be about trapping you."

As Kurotsuchi spoke, she raised her right hand, preparing to press it onto the solidified rock on Shirozumi, breaking a part of it.

However...

"Here, take it."

"Oh, okay."

Kurotsuchi subconsciously took it.

Then her pupils suddenly contracted, and she distanced herself from Shirozumi.

"You!"

Kurotsuchi looked at the camera in her hand and the photo still inserted in it in shock, not understanding how Shirozumi had escaped.

"Don't be afraid, I don't have any ill intentions."

Since he had already been exposed, Shirozumi might as well walk out of the Lime Solidification Technique directly.

In Kurotsuchi's eyes, Shirozumi's figure flickered, and he instantly teleported out.

The rock from the Lime Solidification Technique lost Shirozumi's gravitational control and fell vertically towards the ground.

It was only then that Kurotsuchi realized what she had vaguely felt was wrong – if she had truly trapped him, why could he still float in the air along with the Lime Solidification Technique?

"Our organization is one that loves peace. Our leader's most frequently spoken words are 'Let the world feel joy,' and 'Ninjutsu is used to bring smiles to people.'

If your Iwagakure has any tasks that are unsuitable for you to handle directly, or that you cannot resolve, you can find us.

If the mission is suitable, we can help, and we will complete it one hundred percent."

Shirozumi wasn't saying these words without reason.

After all, it was clearly stated in the original work that Iwagakure had hired the Akatsuki Organization.

Aside from Kumogakure, the other ninja villages had only produced rogue ninja, whom the Fourth Raikage did not trust. Only Iwagakure had directly hired them.

So why is that?

It's simple. Just look at how Tsuchikage Ōnoki and Kurotsuchi from Iwagakure treated Deidara.

Iwagakure never issued a bounty for Deidara, nor did Ōnoki and the others view him as a sworn enemy.

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

Since they couldn't persuade him, they decided to hire him instead, a roundabout way to serve the village.

The Akatsuki Organization worked as mercenaries for a considerable period to gather funds, and Ōnoki took advantage of this to hire Deidara.

As a result, Deidara's contributions to Iwagakure while he was a rogue ninja were even greater than when he was an Iwagakure ninja.

"Isn't that just being a mercenary?"

Kurotsuchi was speechless.

"It's different. Mercenaries only care about money,"

Shirozumi said, wagging his finger.

"You're even picky... What kind of garbage did you take a picture of!"

Kurotsuchi complained as she casually took out a photo from her camera and glanced at it.

She couldn't hold back her expression.

Shirozumi had captured the perfect moment.

He had taken a photo just as she was about to unleash her Lime Solidification Technique, making her entire face look like a chubby baby's.

[Photo]

Kurotsuchi, with a dark expression, tore the photo to shreds. She then raised her camera, took another picture of herself, and stepped forward, ready to hand the new photo to Shirozumi.

"Cough, cough, cough!"

Ōnoki, who had been watching the show for a long time from behind, finally couldn't stand it anymore.

Had this foolish granddaughter forgotten something?

Earlier, she had thought the photo was intelligence gathered by the other party and wanted to destroy it. Now, seeing her own embarrassing picture, why was she proactively giving it to him?

Don't ask why Ōnoki just watched and didn't act.

As the Tsuchikage Ōnoki, who had been around since the founding of the ninja village, he had extensive combat experience. He had seen from the beginning that Shirozumi wasn't trapped and didn't seem hostile.

Ōnoki suspected that Shirozumi was just a decoy to attract their attention, while someone else was preparing to rescue Deidara in the meantime.

So, most of his energy was still focused on the cave and on Deidara.

"Old man, I told you you're too old, just retire already."

Kurotsuchi heard Ōnoki coughing violently, but still didn't react, and threw out the teasing words she often used.

Ōnoki almost fainted from anger upon hearing that.

"Shirozumi, 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 pierce through Shirozumi's head, arc through the air, and land on the ground, creating a crater.

"I was just wondering where to find a target, and one just walked right into my hands."

Shirozumi smiled.

"Shirozumi, how could you act without permission?"

Kurotsuchi frowned.

Setting aside the fact that Shirozumi's current allegiance was ambiguous, even if he were an enemy, they should have captured him alive to extract information.

"It's fine, no harm done."

Shirozumi patted Kurotsuchi's shoulder, then spoke to the air above the cave: "Konan, you heard the name, right? Help pass the message back."

"So there are accomplices after all!"

Seeing Shirozumi's action, Ōnoki stood up from the rock face.

He prepared to deal with Shirozumi and the others.