Chapter 327: This Is True Art

Hearing Kurotsuchi's terrified scream, Mirai swiftly picked her up in his arms.

Then, without hesitation, he grabbed Deidara by the collar.

The next second, the three of them vanished from the scene.

...

Konohagakure.

On the open space above the Hokage Rock, Uchiha Mirai stood with his arms crossed, his gaze sweeping over the two brats before him.

One was a lunatic obsessed with art, his mind filled with nothing but explosions.

The other was Kurotsuchi. 

Under Mirai's piercing gaze, Kurotsuchi immediately shrank back, lowering her head like a frightened turtle. Deidara, on the other hand, pouted indignantly.

It was obvious he was furious that Mirai had interrupted his artistic performance.

Noticing Deidara's sulking expression, Mirai raised an eyebrow.

"Deidara, you don't look too happy."

Deidara huffed. "Of course not! If you hadn't interrupted me, the people of Konoha would've witnessed an artistic masterpiece like nothing they've ever seen before."

"Not just them—you would've been awed by my art too!"

Hearing this, Kurotsuchi's expression stiffened, and she instinctively backed away.

She was all too familiar with Deidara's reckless tendencies.

Back in Iwagakure, she had her grandfather's protection, so she wasn't too worried. But this was Konoha.

And, more importantly, this was Uchiha Mirai they were dealing with!

Putting self-preservation first, she had no intention of being dragged down by Deidara.

She sidled up behind Mirai and gently tugged at his sleeve, whispering softly,

"Mirai-sama, I don't really know him that well."

Mirai looked down and gave her a warm smile. "Don't worry. I won't hold it against you."

Relieved, Kurotsuchi let out a quiet sigh, then took a few steps back to minimize her presence as much as possible.

Meanwhile, Mirai refocused his attention on Deidara.

"Deidara, Konoha is densely populated. Explosions here would cause massive casualties and property damage."

"If you want to pursue your art, find an uninhabited place."

Deidara immediately protested, "That won't do! What's the point of an explosion if no one is there to witness it?"

"True art must be displayed where the most people can see it! Hm!"

Mirai shook his head, realizing there was no reasoning with him.

This guy was a born terrorist.

"Tch! Enough talking. You still haven't seen my art for yourself. Let me show you right now—you're going to love it!"

Mirai's expression turned cold. "I have no interest in such things."

"What?!"

Deidara's face darkened.

"How dare you look down on my art?"

"I'll blow you to pieces!"

With that, he formed a hand seal, and a clay centipede burst from the ground, instantly coiling around Mirai's body.

"Hah!"

Just as Deidara was about to trigger the explosion, a cold voice rang in his ears.

"Before you make a move, take a good look at yourself."

The voice carried no killing intent, yet a chill ran down Deidara's spine.

In that instant, he realized he had lost all sensation in his body. His vision darkened completely.

The centipede that should have been restraining Mirai was now tightly wrapped around himself.

Which meant…

If he had detonated the clay, he would've blown himself to bits.

As the oppressive darkness surrounded him, Deidara felt as though he had fallen into an abyss.

Isolation, coldness, emptiness, fear…

A flood of negative emotions overwhelmed his mind, sending a bone-deep chill through his soul.

Suddenly, a pair of glowing eyes opened in the darkness before him.

One was a blood-red Mangekyō Sharingan.

The other, a pale-purple Rinnegan.

The eyes, like those of a god, stared down at him, an eerie contrast against the boundless void behind them.

"Deidara, consider this a warning."

"There won't be a next time."

An omnipresent voice echoed before fading away. The scene before him shattered like a broken mirror.

Warm sunlight, lush trees, the chirping of insects…

Everything returned to normal.

Mirai and Kurotsuchi were nowhere to be seen.

Deidara stood frozen in place for a long time before murmuring hoarsely,

"Art…"

"This is art far beyond my own…"

"Compared to what I just witnessed, my explosions are nothing…"

For the first time since he had embraced the path of explosions, Deidara found himself questioning his own definition of art.

But it didn't take long for him to regain his resolve.

One day, he would create an art so perfect that the world would recognize it. Giving up was not an option.

Still, considering that his reckless antics could very well get him killed, perhaps it wouldn't hurt to heed Mirai's warning.

After all…

While art required an audience, the process of refining and perfecting it could be done alone.

Hm!

...

[ Ding! Congratulations to the host for successfully acquiring the Bloodline Limit: Explosion Release! ]

Mirai heard the system's notification in his mind.

He wasn't aware that Deidara had already convinced himself to behave, but even if he knew, he wouldn't have cared.

If the earlier warning hadn't been enough, he would have used more… persuasive measures.

Walking ahead, Mirai heard Kurotsuchi suddenly ask, "Mirai-sama, how do you know about us?"

Mirai responded calmly, "Before bringing you to Konoha, Ōnoki provided me with detailed information about you both."

Kurotsuchi nodded in understanding, then seemed to remember something.

"Oh! Mirai-sama, this is a letter my grandfather asked me to give you personally."

Mirai took the letter and scanned its contents, his brow arching slightly.

The message was simple: Ōnoki requested that Mirai take care of Kurotsuchi and allow her to live in his estate.

The first part was reasonable enough.

But the second part? That was… interesting.

Ōnoki had arranged separate accommodations for Deidara but wanted Kurotsuchi to stay at Mirai's home?

That old schemer… what was he plotting?

Surely he wasn't trying to marry off his granddaughter already?

Mirai mentally scoffed at the thought, then casually tucked the letter into his robe.

"Kurotsuchi, you'll be staying at my estate from now on."

"Yes, Mirai-sama!"

Seeing her obedient demeanor, Mirai nodded in satisfaction.

Whatever Ōnoki's intentions were, it didn't matter to him.

His house was already full of young girls anyway—one more wouldn't make a difference.

After all…

Feelings were best nurtured from a young age!

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