"No problem, but since you've joined the Akatsuki, you'll have to obey the organization's orders and complete the missions it assigns you."
Pain appeared from somewhere, bringing Konan, Kakuzu, Hidan, and the others with him.
There was also a strange man Lin Guang didn't recognize.
"I'm Sasori. I'll be your partner from now on. But can someone like you really get missions done properly?"
So that strange man was Sasori from Iwagakure, known as Sasori of the Red Sands, the most powerful puppeteer.
The reason Pain, Konan, and the others hadn't accompanied Lin Guang and Uchiha Itachi was that they had gone to find Sasori.
But Sasori seemed to have quite a personality, taking a jab at Deidara as soon as he arrived.
"You should take a look at yourself, hiding inside that ugly puppet."
Deidara and Sasori went head-to-head.
"Art is eternal. Those explosions of yours don't even qualify as art."
Sasori attacked Deidara right where it mattered most to him.
"What did you say?!"
Deidara flew into a rage. Many of the large clay creations around them began radiating a destructive aura, giving off a sense of danger.
The members of the Akatsuki all drew their weapons and pointed them at the newcomer, Deidara. If he made any sudden moves, they would smash him to pieces.
"Calm down. He won't be able to cause much trouble with me here."
A red light flashed in Lin Guang's Sharingan as he precisely located Deidara's clay creations.
The energy inside these Clay Bombs was rapidly compressing, as though they would explode at any moment.
Lin Guang chuckled and controlled his Ice Release to cover the Clay Bombs with precision.
"Pfft!"
After Lin Guang's Ice Release chakra interfered with them, the Clay Bombs that had been on the verge of exploding all