In a town not far from the battlefield.
Deidara, who had sneaked out of the village, rubbed his growling stomach and looked helplessly at the rice ball in his hand.
Plain white rice with a sheet of nori.
Its utterly artless shape left Deidara, a self-proclaimed artist, with little appetite.
A ninja had to pursue art, even in food. There could be no compromise.
Swallowing, Deidara glanced at the roadside shops, snorted disdainfully, and walked away.
He had brought no money, and meals had to be paid for.
After threatening some street thugs with a Clay Bomb, Deidara received a special commission.
Find the culprit who had been killing ninja around the town!
"I finally have a chance to show off my art!"
With that exclamation, Deidara climbed onto a Clay Bird and flew out of town.
After searching at low altitude for some time, Deidara finally noticed the sounds of battle beside a lake. Those low, rumbling booms brought a smile to his lips.
He resolved to finish off the enemy foolish enough to cross him with the most perfect art.
Soon, Deidara reached the lake, where Zou Hyuga was looking up at his Clay Bird from a treetop below.
"Is that Uncle Roshi?"
Circling at low altitude, Deidara recognized Roshi and immediately called out, "Uncle Roshi, looks like you need some help?"
Hearing Deidara's voice, Roshi looked up into the sky. Still panting from the fierce battle he had just fought, he asked, "Deidara, has Lord Third come?"
Roshi did not think Deidara's arrival would help their current situation. Though Deidara was a genius from their village, their enemies were dangerous missing-nin from the Akatsuki.
Even with Tailed Beast Transformation, he could barely hold his own against one of them, while another Akatsuki member was still watching from