After thinking it over, Deidara still felt that Old Man Kakuzu was the better choice.
With many former Konoha shinobi and civilians joining, Amegakure had entered a new phase of expansion. Not only that, but negotiations with Iwagakure and several smaller shinobi villages were also underway.
It was said that Nagato had been working like a beast of burden for days, even dragging out the Six Paths of Pain to work at seven times the normal speed. The guy barely got any sleep, rotating shifts just to keep up with everything. It was truly pitiful.
If Deidara showed up now, he'd definitely be roped in as free labor.
"Kakuzu, huh? If you go to him for help, you're bound to get scammed out of a fortune."
"He's still holding a grudge over the first Konoha collapse plan," Kisame said with a grin.
Deidara scratched his head. It had been ages since that incident, yet Kakuzu still hadn't let it go? Talk about petty.
But Deidara had a plan to deal with the old man.
"Don't worry, not only will I not spend a dime, but I'll make Kakuzu pay me instead." He thumped his chest confidently.
...
In Amegakure's mission hall,
Deidara found Kakuzu and Hidan. Now that they had a stable source of income, Kakuzu had lost interest in bounty hunting.
Taking missions directly from Amegakure was more convenient, paid better, and had fewer risks.
Because of his "outstanding contributions," Nagato had even approved a special arrangement: as long as Kakuzu completed a mission, the village wouldn't take a cut. In the end, the old man would just turn over the money to the organization anyway, so why bother with taxes?
Kakuzu didn't mind. As long as he could keep making money, he was content. Spending it, on the other hand...
Hmph! Every coin was hard-earned. How could he just waste it?
To Deidara, this was classic behavior of someone with an empty heart. Kakuzu had been drifting through the shinobi world for decades, watching comrades, friends, and even enemies die one after another. If he didn't keep himself busy, if he didn't give himself a purpose, what else was there to hold onto in this world?
"Yo, Deidara." Hidan, leaning against the reception desk with his scythe on his back, looked bored. As for Kakuzu, he was carefully scanning the mission list, completely ignoring Deidara's presence.
"You here for a mission too? Don't tell me your little girlfriend took all your money, and now you're here to make some secret savings?" Hidan teased.
Deidara waved him off. "Quit talking nonsense."
"I'm actually here to give Kakuzu a great opportunity."
"Oh?" The old man finally turned his head.
"Listen up, Kakuzu," Deidara said earnestly. "You've noticed it yourself—even with the Cursed Seal, you're still not strong enough."
Kakuzu frowned. "Hearing that from you is annoying, but you're not wrong."
"I have a powerful Wind Release jutsu. Its strength is comparable to Senjutsu, but it doesn't require charging up like Sage Mode. You can use it instantly."
"Interested?" Deidara asked.
Kakuzu's green beady eyes flashed, though he remained skeptical. "You're being awfully generous."
"Of course not. If you want this jutsu, it'll cost you fifty million ryo."
The steep price instantly dispelled any doubts Kakuzu had. Now it all made sense—Deidara just wanted to make a quick buck.
"Fifty million is too much! Even an S-rank forbidden jutsu isn't worth that much," Kakuzu haggled, clearly very invested in this.
Deidara shook his head. "That depends on the forbidden jutsu. Flying Thunder God and Edo Tensei—would you say those aren't worth fifty million?"
"Your jutsu is as strong as those?" Kakuzu sneered.
"Of course not, but it's definitely not weak."
"Think about it. Power-wise, it's not much weaker than your ninjutsu infused with Senjutsu chakra."
Kakuzu studied Deidara's expression. The brat didn't seem to be lying. A jutsu with the instant power of Senjutsu? That would be a game-changer.
"Thirty million. No more," Kakuzu declared.
Deidara put on a thoughtful expression before nodding. "Fine, thirty million it is."
Kakuzu walked up, smiling as he shook Deidara's hand.
"That's more like it, Deidara. We're comrades, after all."
"Yeah, comrades," Deidara echoed, smirking inwardly.
Then, he explained the principles behind the Rasenshuriken. Kakuzu formed a grasping motion with his right hand, channeling chakra into his palm.
Bam!
His first attempt failed, but he was close.
The Rasengan wasn't particularly difficult to learn, especially for a Kage-level shinobi. It mainly required precise chakra control, something Kakuzu had mastered over decades.
As for the Rasenshuriken, which required both shape and nature transformation, it wouldn't be too hard for Kakuzu either—he had already mastered Wind Release.
Alright, mission accomplished.
Watching Kakuzu practice, Deidara nodded in satisfaction. He had even given the old man a discount. What a generous guy he was!
Just as he was leaving, he suddenly received a message from Nagato.
If you're wondering why a clone could receive messages from the ring, well... let's just say the real Deidara was chilling at home.
"Deidara, the Kirigakure delegation has arrived. Go meet them at the village gate."
"What?! I'm not a gatekeeper, and I'm definitely not a diplomat. Why me?" Deidara grumbled.
"I heard Mei Terumi has quite a connection with you. It's only fitting that you greet her."
"Hey! Leader, stop spreading rumors! I have nothing going on with that woman. She's more interested in Itachi anyway!"
"Deidara, Amaterasu." Itachi's deep voice chimed in.
"Fine, fine, I'll go."
"Hold on!" Kakuzu interjected.
"What is it, Kakuzu?" Nagato asked curiously.
"Deidara, you need to knock off another ten million. If you don't, I'll tell your little girlfriend about Mei Terumi."
"Hey! That's not fair, Kakuzu! I'll be losing money at twenty million!"
"Puhahahaha!" Kisame burst into laughter.
"Kisame, stop laughing at Deidara. If he gets mad and refuses to lower the price, I'll make you pay the ten million instead," Kakuzu warned.
"Alright, alright, Kakuzu. Don't worry, I'm a professional—Puhahahahahaha!"
What kind of teammates are these?! Deidara sighed.
...
Arriving at Amegakure's gates,
Deidara was surprised to see Mei Terumi and her group looking utterly exhausted. They didn't seem like a normal diplomatic delegation at all.
"What happened to you guys?" Deidara asked in shock.
Mei sighed heavily. "Kirigakure... is gone."
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
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