Deidara nodded, looking as though he still hadn't fully taken it in. Until now, he had spent all his time in Iwagakure, and even the missions he took were minor ones. But this mission involved the lives of an entire village. If he slipped up, the consequences were more than he dared imagine.
Orochimaru looked at him and, for once, smiled. "Enough. Don't overthink it. We have more important things to do!" As he spoke, the trace of a smile faded from his face.
"The mission is complete, and we'll be heading back soon. First, we need to get the villagers out of Manda's stomach. If we're too late, they really will become his dinner!"
Deidara quickly shook off his dazed expression. He made a huge bird out of clay and flew off with Orochimaru. They had to release the villagers somewhere far away. If Akatsuki found them, all their work would be for nothing.
Worse, it could implicate them and cause Lord Uchiha Yin's plan to fail. They absolutely could not let that happen. Even something this simple had to be handled with care.
Deidara stayed fully alert, not because he truly understood how serious the situation was, but because he wanted to make sure every villager was still alive. Only then could he feel at ease.
The two finally landed in a remote stretch of woods. Deidara scanned their surroundings and, once he was sure no one was there, said, "Senior Orochimaru, it's safe now!"
Orochimaru was even more cautious. After checking for himself, he formed Hand Seals and summoned Manda. With a bang, white smoke billowed out, and Manda's enormous figure slowly emerged within it.
Manda coiled his body and raised his head, looking down arrogantly at Orochimaru and Deidara. His deep voice boomed like a great