Undercurrents stirred in the Akatsuki!
Tōka's aura mysteriously vanished.
Konan was naturally skilled at reconnaissance and had a keen sense of her surroundings. The moment Tōka left, Konan noticed the fighting spirit in Deidara's eyes.
Wow!
Konan lifted her body, her two huge white wings flapped behind her, and she floated away on the wind.
At the same time, pieces of flying paper hovered and gathered in the air.
Paper Dance: Paper Shuriken!
Swish, swish, swish!
Fragments of paper flew out in a whooshing sound.
Deidara's eyelids darkened, and his frivolous expression turned serious. He valued Konan, but he was not afraid of the enemy.
"Let's see if this Akatsuki Organization is worth joining... hmm."
With a low murmur, Deidara flipped his palm, and his mouth quickly chewed the Explosive Clay that had been prepared beforehand, turning it into small white spiders which he held in his palm.
This spider, only the size of a finger, has two long, slender hind legs. Its powerful, curved legs enhance its jumping ability.
As Deidara threw the object, countless small white spiders shot out.
The countless white dots quickly blended into the gray, misty rain.
Snap!
Deidara clasped his hands together in a hand Hand Seals and shouted, "Hah! Explode!"
Bang bang bang!!
Dense clusters of tiny spiders rushed into the Paper Shuriken, then exploded one after another, the shockwave scattering the Paper Shuriken everywhere.
A blast of air swept through, and Konan raised her hand to cover half of her face, revealing a pair of clear and beautiful eyes.
Take advantage of this opportunity.
Deidara clasped his hands together and then threw out a ball of Explosive Clay.
Bang!
A cloud of white mist dispersed through the rain.
Immediately afterwards, a giant white bird broke through the rain and soared into the sky. Deidara leaped onto its back and flew away.
While creating distance, Deidara's hands were not idle.
A cold smile played on his lips as he raised his hand and made a throwing motion, sending a dense spray of white dots flying towards Konan.
Bang bang bang!!
Puffs of white mist exploded in the air.
"Explosive Clay - Little Birds!" Deidara shouted, and tiny little birds burst forth from the rain amidst the white mist.
A small bird with a petite body and fast speed.
Its streamlined body reduces air resistance, and its wings flap rapidly to propel it, making it appear from a distance as if white feathers are shooting out.
The force that shot through the air actually shattered the falling rain, and the crystal-clear fragments looked dazzling.
"The ability to fly?" Konan raised an eyebrow, her slender fingers tapping rapidly.
Paper Dance Paper Shuriken - Shoots or throws Shuriken made of paper. They are similar in power and shape to regular Shuriken, and the more paper pieces used, the larger the Shuriken become.
Because it is made of paper, it is easier to carry around, but it will lose its effectiveness after getting wet.
But Konan is also a genius!
The Paper Shuriken in her hand will not lose its effectiveness because of the water!
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!!
A dense Paper Shuriken flew towards the small birds.
Konan has only one goal: to detonate these little birds with Paper Shuriken!
Bang bang bang!!
A series of explosions resounded in mid-air. The little birds were faster and more agile than the spiders, so Konan could only win by sheer numbers!
The blast wave shattered the surrounding rain, creating a very short Vacuum Zone.
Konan spread its wings and soared into the air, level with the giant bird.
Their fierce gazes clashed intensely in the air, crackling and sparking, as if an invisible, thick smell of gunpowder was emanating from them.
"Air combat? That's quite interesting." Tōka stood atop a Tower, hands behind his back, taking advantage of the high vantage point to overlook the entire Battlefield.
Konan stared coldly at Deidara, whose fighting spirit was palpable. Despite being just a kid in his early teens, he possessed such troublesome abilities.
Without a doubt, this kid must have been recruited by Tōka.
Deidara intended to give "someone" in the Akatsuki Organization a hard time, thereby solidifying his future position within the organization.
Konan also had an idea: to teach Deidara a good lesson and deflate Deidara arrogance.
Joining the Akatsuki Organization means that dragons must coil up and tigers must crouch down.
With a rustling sound, the paper fluttered around. Konan raised her slender hand, and the paper gathered in her palm, turning and curling until it finally transformed into a spear.
The Paper Dance - Paper Spear.
It has extremely strong penetrating power, and this penetrating power can be enhanced by high-speed rotation. Countless pieces of paper are folded together, making it as hard as iron.
Buzz!
Konan raised her hand and waved, Paper Spear flying through the air.
A whistling sound buzzed loudly!
"At this distance, the giant bird would be pierced through by a spear... Hmm." Deidara's pupils constricted sharply, completely unexpected that this icy beauty before him possessed such a powerful attack method.
Flying through the air is one of Deidara's greatest advantages in every battle.
Air superiority represents initiative. Deidara used the giant bird to fly high in the sky, allowing him to attack enemies from a distance without much concern for his own safety.
They completely seized the initiative in both offense and retreat.
But his opponent not only possessed the ability to fly as well, but his long-range attack methods were also no weaker than his!
"Should we use C-bombs? We're probably not far from Akatsuki's base... Hmm." Deidara hurriedly maneuvered his giant bird to dodge to the side.
The Paper Spear were extremely fast, making it impossible to dodge them completely.
Deidara decided to abandon the giant bird beneath him and, taking advantage of the moment it took to take off, leaped high away from the bird.
Puff!
The Paper Spear pierced through the giant bird's body at the same time, entering from its abdomen and exiting from its back. The force of its rapid rotation shredded the Explosive Clay into a pulp.
The Paper Spear, barely as thick as an arm, left a hole the size of a basin in the giant bird's body.
Buzz!
The Paper Spear pierced through the giant bird and shot straight ahead, the gust of wind whistling past Deidara's ear, a strand of golden hair falling from his temple...
"That was close... um." Deidara swallowed hard, then quickly opened his palm to reveal a Clay Giant Bird that he had prepared beforehand.
Bang!
A cloud of white mist dissipated, and Deidara, riding on the giant bird, flew even higher and farther into the sky.
Creating distance was the only solution Deidara could think of.
Or perhaps he hadn't yet come up with any way to deal with Konan, and was instead using a roundabout tactic to avoid the Battlefield and maneuver around Konan.
As he created distance, Deidara's mind raced, and a calculating glint flashed in his eyes.
Just then, a figure dressed in Red Clouds on a Black Background descended from a Tower, and the powerful force could be clearly felt even from hundreds of meters away.
The oppressive atmosphere that hit me was like being choked by a giant hand.
Deidara, standing atop the giant bird, looked up in astonishment at the sky as a dark shadow swept through, creating a whirlwind.
"Banshō Ten'in!"
A deep, cold voice suddenly rang out.
Deidara felt a tremendous force envelop him, and the chakra that had been attached to the giant bird's back and the feet beneath it was instantly shattered.
His body soared into the air and flew off towards the dark figure with a whoosh.
"What's going on? My body's out of control? Wait... what are those cold eyes...?" Deidara stared into Deva Path's eyes, a strange sense of unease rising within him. "Very strong, I'm no match for him... Hmm."
Just as Deidara was rapidly closing the distance to the Deva Path, a gentle breeze swept by, and the rain seemed to freeze for a moment.
The terrifying Attractive Force suddenly stopped, and Deidara once again regained control of his body.
At this moment, Tōka floated into the air with an umbrella, standing between Deidara and Deva Path.
Without the effect of Attractive Force, Deidara's body became heavy, and a feeling of falling came over him. He quickly controlled the giant bird to fly over and catch his falling body.
The giant bird flapped its wings and floated behind Tōka, while Deidara stared in shock at the other end.
Only at this moment did he truly see the face of the person who had just arrived.
A man in his early twenties, with orange hair and his face covered in small black sticks, exuded an aura of evil.
What's most striking are those eyes with their distinctive ring-like lines.
With just one glance, it seems to draw you in, stirring a thought within you—a thought that cannot be matched by anything else.
"He's the strongest one in Akatsuki? It must be... Hmm." Tōka flashed onto the giant bird, Deidara quickly asked.
Before Tōka could speak, he said something else to himself.
Deidara's self-questioning and self-answering might seem silly, but in reality, he had already realized and acknowledged that his strength was inferior to that of the Deva Path.
"I guess so," Tōka replied ambiguously, then looked up at the two people not far away.
A light rain was falling.
Every now and then a gentle breeze would blow by, as if trying to dispel the faint sorrow in the rain.
The four people and their respective paths gazed at each other from afar. Tōka stared at Deva Path, while Nagato also observed Tōka through Deva Path's eyes.
After a moment of silence...
"Go back." The Deva Path's indifferent voice rang out, and then its figure flickered and it sped towards the depths of the Tower.
With a whoosh, Konan's outstretched white wings One Flash, and with the help of the wind, she followed Deva Path away.
Deidara only came to his senses after the two had completely disappeared.
He glanced furtively at Tōka's retreating figure and whispered, "Are all the Akatsuki Organization members like this? It can't be... um."
"Let's go, you'll find out later."
As Tōka finished speaking, her figure gradually disappeared into the rain.
Seeing this, Deidara quickly put away the Clay Giant Bird and chased after the blurry figure in the rain.
Deidara, also known as Akatsuki no Ao, officially joined the Akatsuki Organization at the invitation of Tōka's Banxiepo.
Beneath the Tower, after formally meeting Pain and Konan.
Deidara stood bored in the shelter from the rain.
Wearing a red and black Coat, and touching the ring on his finger, Deidara lowered his head, lost in thought.
Crunch, crunch...
The sound of mechanical joints moving filled the air, and a hunched figure vaguely appeared in the hazy rain.
"Sasori of the Red Sands?"
Deidara squinted at the approaching Hiruko. He had heard of Sasori's name, but he didn't know what Sasori actually looked like.
The man in front of me always seemed...
It's a bit ugly.
"This kid is the partner I've prepared for me?" Sasori looked Deidara up and down, his slender physique not being a big deal.
However, Sasori couldn't detect a trace of a powerful aura from Deidara.
Scorpion's tone was extremely contemptuous, tinged with a hint of dissatisfaction.
Deidara's face darkened, and he was about to speak when he noticed a black Vortex suddenly appear behind Sasori, followed by the gradual revelation of Tōka's figure.
"You two will definitely get along. Sasori, Deidara is in your hands now." Tōka's appearance was both expected and unexpected.
The tense and oppressive atmosphere eased with Tōka's appearance.
Deidara was no match for Tōka, and Sasori was considered to be on Tōka's side due to various relationships, so neither of them had any reason to fight in front of Tōka.
Tōka's appearance was not accidental; any team composition needs to do one thing.
In critical moments, who is the true decision-maker?
The Akatsuki Organization adopted a two-person team system for three reasons: to avoid acting alone and to improve the success rate of missions through mutual assistance.
And mutual surveillance to prevent spies from leaking Xiao's secrets.
In a world where the strong prey on the weak, strength is always a prerequisite for all events.
Simply put, Tōka's appearance was meant to make the two of them more restrained when they fought, and one person died on the very first day of the new team.
It's Tōka's embarrassed.
Because both Deidara and Sasori were recruited by Tōka.
In the silence, Scorpion's low, husky voice rang out first, and Hiruko's sharp eyes softened slightly, "Don't worry, I'll take good care of this kid."
"Who's taking care of whom is still uncertain... um." Deidara shrugged, unwilling to back down in a verbal exchange.
Having received Scorpion's promise was enough, Tōka smiled slightly and vanished in a flash.
It comes and goes without a trace, its aura mysterious yet serene, like the air that always exists around us; it is always there, yet we cannot see or touch it.
Sasori and Deidara felt a chill run down their spines, and a hint of apprehension flashed in their eyes.
Scorpion had clearly known Tōka Ge longer...
It's been a long time since we last met, and it seems Tōka's strength has increased considerably.
No, it should be more composed and reserved, unlike before when it was so sharp and aggressive, like a humanoid Tailed Beast that gave people an irresistible sense of oppression wherever it went.
At this moment, Tōka was more inclined towards -- nothing.
He exists, yet he doesn't exist; he cannot be captured. Only when Tōka wants to appear can others see him.
Even if you can see it, you can't see it clearly.
It was as if a mysterious veil shrouded Tōka.
"Come with me." Taking a deep breath to calm the agitation in his heart, Sasori looked up at Deidara coldly and said in a deep voice.
They will inevitably clash, and even within a small team, there needs to be a distinction between primary and secondary players.
Otherwise, this squad wouldn't have lasted long.
Sasori was confident that he could defeat Deidara even Budong the Human Puppet of the Third Raikage, Third Tsuchikage, Third Kazekage, and Fourth Mizukage.
This place is at the foot of the Tower in the Land of Rain, where Nagato and Konan are located. Naturally, the two of them cannot fight here.
Deidara understood and silently followed Sasori away.
Crunch, crunch...
Just as she had arrived, Hiruko's movements remained mechanical, producing beautiful, spring-like notes as she moved.
The rain was falling softly.
A layer of misty water rises, and the Tower standing in the rain curtain are like straight and upright pine trees, standing Budong in the rain.
Even in a country where heaven weeps, there is a group of people who refuse to give up easily and continue to fight.
Right here in this Tower...