Chapter 218: Deidara and Kurotsuchi

Iwagakure.

Deidara, looking downcast and defeated, suddenly raised his head, a maniacal grin spreading across his face.

"My artistic journey… How could it possibly end here, hm?!"

"My pursuit of art will never stop, no matter what!"

Although Deidara had abandoned the idea of unleashing his ultimate art, he wasn't one to just sit back and accept his fate.

Not even if the old man himself came today—nothing could keep him here.

That was the promise Deidara made to himself.

Nearby, Kurotsuchi sighed, rubbing her forehead in exasperation.

"Honestly, Deidara, can't you stop causing so much trouble for everyone?"

Deidara snorted, glaring at her.

"Oi, Kurotsuchi, you'd better not get in my way."

"Otherwise, don't blame me for not holding back, hm!"

Kurotsuchi's slender hand suddenly became encased in rock, her tone playful as she grinned.

"Right back at you, Deidara."

"If you keep causing trouble, I might have to knock some sense into you!"

...

Ryūchi Cave.

Obito stared at the unconscious young girl sprawled before him, his expression a mix of confusion and annoyance.

"This… really makes me look like a villain," he muttered under his breath.

With a scowl, he raised his hand and delivered a sharp slap to her cheek.

Slap!

To his surprise, the force was absorbed and deflected, leaving his hand stinging.

Obito chuckled, amused. "Not bad. Decent shock absorption."

The girl instantly woke up, her eyes snapping open as terror overtook her features.

When she saw Obito's face looming ominously close, she trembled like a leaf in the wind.

"P-Please don't kill me! Please, I beg you!" she stammered, tears welling up.

"I'll do anything you want, just don't kill me!"

Obito's interest was piqued. Leaning closer, he asked with a teasing tone, "Anything, you say? Are you sure about that?"

The girl nodded frantically, her face flushed with desperation.

"Y-Yes! Anything! I can even—"

"Great," Obito interrupted, completely ignoring her flustered rambling. "Write me a poem. Just make sure it praises my handsomeness."

The girl froze, blinking in disbelief. Her tail slipped out accidentally, betraying her shock.

"A… poem?" she squeaked.

Seeing her reaction, Obito sighed in disappointment.

"Seriously? You can't even write a simple poem? It's not like I asked you to solve advanced calculus…"

The girl curled up into a trembling ball.

"It's over… I'm done for… I'm going to get eaten…" she whimpered.

Obito: "…"

"You're supposed to be a deity, but you're acting like a scared little girl."

Unwilling to waste more time arguing, Obito got straight to the point.

"Listen. If you're willing to work for me, I'll let you live."

"If not… well, I'll send you to join the White Snake Sage."

The girl frantically nodded, her fear overwhelming her.

"I'll do it! I'll do anything you ask!"

Satisfied, Obito gave her an approving nod.

"Good. Now, I'm going to do something to you. Don't resist, got it?"

Though her face was a mix of fear and uncertainty, she nodded again.

"Y-Yes, I'll cooperate!"

Obito's Sharingan gleamed crimson, and he invaded her consciousness.

...

Iwagakure.

Inside a dark cell, Deidara sat bound, both hands and feet shackled with specially crafted restraints.

He leaned back against his chair, blowing at his bangs out of sheer boredom.

Footsteps echoed from outside the room, and Deidara quickly adjusted his posture, putting on an expression of defiance and unyielding determination.

When the door creaked open, he scoffed.

"Don't waste your breath. I'm not saying a word—"

Deidara froze mid-sentence when he saw who walked in.

"Kurotsuchi…? You?!"

"Of course, it's me, Deidara~"

Kurotsuchi stuck her tongue out playfully, grinning from ear to ear.

"Let's face it, who else could get you to even listen for five seconds?"

Deidara crossed his arms and huffed.

"I don't want to see you either. Get out, hm!"

Kurotsuchi tugged at his sleeve, feigning innocence as she teased.

"Aw, come on, Deidara~"

"It was just two punches. No need to hold such a big grudge, right?"

Deidara shot her an icy glare, jerking his arm away.

"You hit me with enhanced fists under Ultra-Added-Weight Rock Technique. That's not 'just two punches,' hm!"

[In Boruto, Kurotsuchi's punches could send an Ōtsutsuki flying.]

When her playful approach failed, Kurotsuchi switched to a more serious tone.

She grabbed his collar, leaning in close with a firm gaze.

"Deidara, if you don't cooperate with me, I'll have no choice but to call Grandpa here."

Deidara's face darkened instantly.

"Not the old man…"

His feelings toward Ōnoki were far too complicated to untangle.

If he could help it, Deidara would prefer to avoid seeing him altogether.

"Fine. What do you want, hm?"

Seeing him give in, Kurotsuchi suppressed a triumphant smirk and cleared her throat.

"Tell me everything you know about the Yoru Organization."

Deidara shook his head resolutely.

"No way. I, Deidara, will never betray my comrades, hm!"

Kurotsuchi sighed and turned toward the door, feigning disappointment.

"Well, in that case, I guess I'll have to ask Grandpa to talk to you instead."

Deidara slammed his fists on the table and stood up.

"Kurotsuchi, don't push me, hm!"

Their eyes locked, neither willing to back down.

Eventually, Kurotsuchi shrugged in mock defeat.

"Fine. At least give me some information that won't violate your principles. Deal?"

"Otherwise, I can't report back to Grandpa, and you know how he is, Deidara."

After a long pause, Deidara sighed and relented.

"Alright, fine… But how did you even know I was coming, hm?"

Kurotsuchi burst into laughter.

"Seriously, Deidara?"

"Everyone knows the Yoru Organization has been targeting jinchūriki. Iwagakure took precautions, obviously."

"Not to mention, you still know about that 'secret tunnel' into the village. We've been staking it out for weeks!"

Deidara's eye twitched in frustration.

"So this whole thing was a trap, hm?"

...

Ryūchi Cave.

Inside the girl's consciousness, Obito wandered freely, easily extracting the information he sought.

"Orochimaru… That guy has ridiculous luck. Or maybe Amaterasu just isn't as deadly as it's hyped up to be."

According to what he found, Orochimaru had agreed to offer Ryūchi Cave a hundred sacrifices annually.

The White Snake Sage, delighted by the deal, not only extinguished the Amaterasu flames for him but also taught him a few techniques of Ryūchi Cave's senjutsu.

"Tch. Ryūchi Cave senjutsu? Only someone like Orochimaru would get excited over something like that."

After finishing his investigation into Orochimaru, Obito spent another hour studying Ryūchi Cave's techniques in detail.

Finally, he withdrew from the girl's mind, letting out a tired breath.

"Phew. That should cover everything…"

Seeing the girl's anxious expression, Obito smirked.

"Relax. I said I'd let you live, and I'm a man of my word."

"From now on, just focus on working for me. You won't regret it."

The girl breathed a sigh of relief and hesitantly asked, "What… What do you want me to do?"

Without hesitation, Obito replied, "Manage Ryūchi Cave for me. Make it less creepy and more… livable."

Now that the White Snake Sage was out of the picture, Ryūchi Cave was his domain.

A completely isolated dimension teeming with natural energy—perfect for retirement someday.

With some renovations, it could become a peaceful haven.

As for the girl? She was the first and only caretaker he needed.

"Congratulations," Obito said with a smirk. "You're now my full-time servant. Don't slack off."

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Pls Drop some Power Stones

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