Chapter 220: Deidara and Ōnoki

Inside a small, dimly lit room in Iwagakure.

Deidara was passionately recounting his adventures with Sasori, gesturing animatedly.

Kurotsuchi listened with a whirlwind of emotions—fascination, disbelief, and exasperation swirling in her mind.

(Don't worry, everyone. Deidara's orientation is normal—he's just painfully straightforward.)

Just then, the sound of the guard's respectful voice echoed from outside.

"Lord Tsuchikage, you're here!"

Deidara and Kurotsuchi froze at the same time.

Oh, no! Why's the old man here?!

Their gazes met, panic evident in both their eyes.

The door creaked open.

Click.

In walked an elderly man, short and stout, his hair and beard stark white. His bulbous red nose gave him a distinct, imposing air.

It was none other than Ōnoki, the Third Tsuchikage of Iwagakure.

The moment Ōnoki stepped into the room, his blood pressure soared.

Before him was a scene he could never have anticipated.

Deidara lay sprawled on the floor, his face twisted in defiance, while his granddaughter Kurotsuchi had one foot planted firmly on his chest. In her hand was a small whip, which she waved around menacingly.

"Talk! Talk! If you don't spill it, I'll beat it out of you!"

Deidara smirked coldly, his voice filled with unyielding resolve.

"Don't waste your breath. You won't get anything out of me. Hmm!"

Kurotsuchi raised the whip high and lashed it down toward him.

"Still acting tough? Let's see how long that lasts!"

Ōnoki's foot stomped the ground in anger, the entire room trembling under his rage.

"Enough!"

Kurotsuchi froze mid-swing, her whip stopping in the air. Feigning surprise, she turned to face him.

"Oh! Grandpa, when did you get here? I was in the middle of interrogating Deidara, but he's so stubborn!"

Still on the ground, Deidara nodded furiously, playing along.

"Yeah, that's exactly how it is."

Do these two really think I'm an idiot?

Ōnoki took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He turned to his granddaughter with a stern expression.

"Kurotsuchi, leave. I want to speak to Deidara alone."

"But, Grandpa—"

"Out!"

"Fine…"

Kurotsuchi huffed, clearly unhappy, and left the room.

Before closing the door, she shot Deidara a helpless look, as if to say, You're on your own.

Ōnoki turned his attention back to Deidara, who was now sitting up but stubbornly avoiding his gaze. Arms crossed, Deidara looked at everything in the room except Ōnoki.

Ōnoki sat down across from him.

Looking at his once-young disciple, who had now grown into a man, Ōnoki felt a deep sense of guilt and regret.

Deidara had been a prodigy, a genius of Iwagakure. He had been Ōnoki's personal disciple, someone he had high hopes for, even seeing him as a potential successor.

Ōnoki had taught Deidara ninjutsu and imparted his wisdom, yet he had failed in one critical way—he hadn't been there for him at a pivotal moment.

When Deidara's experiments with explosions harmed villagers, Ōnoki had approached the situation not as a mentor but as the Tsuchikage. He had banished Deidara from the village to reflect on his mistakes, leaving the boy—barely ten years old—alone and vulnerable.

It was during this period of despair that Deidara had been lured away by those with ulterior motives.

Suppressing the turmoil in his heart, Ōnoki finally spoke.

"Deidara, let's talk. Just the two of us."

Before it's too late… he added silently.

Deidara scoffed, his tone dripping with disdain.

"What's there to talk about? You've always looked down on my art, old man."

Ōnoki sighed heavily, his expression solemn.

"I admit it. I was wrong about your art, Deidara."

Deidara's eyes widened for a moment before narrowing suspiciously.

"Ha! Don't make me laugh, old man. You've always mocked my art. What's changed now?"

He wasn't buying it. He was sure Ōnoki was trying to manipulate him into revealing information about the Akatsuki.

But Ōnoki's serious demeanor gave him pause. Could it be true?

Ōnoki's voice cut through his doubts, firm and resolute.

"I recognize your art, Deidara. I truly do. Let's talk."

Over the years, Ōnoki had reflected deeply on the concept of art and destruction. Deidara's belief in fleeting, explosive beauty was, in many ways, a reflection of Ōnoki's own Dust Release—an art of obliteration.

This realization had only deepened Ōnoki's regret for not understanding Deidara's perspective sooner.

Deidara's voice wavered, tinged with an emotion he was trying to suppress.

"What… do you want to talk about?"

Ōnoki looked directly at him, his gaze unwavering.

"Come back to Iwagakure, Deidara. This is your home."

He paused before adding, "Come back, take your place as my disciple again, and prepare to inherit the village."

Deidara stared at him, conflicted. This was perhaps the hardest decision he had ever faced.

...

Outside Uchiha Madara's secret base.

A shadowy figure crept closer, moving cautiously toward the hidden entrance.

"Finally, after all this time, I've found Obito's secret base. Let's see what treasures lie inside."

It was Orochimaru, following clues left in Obito's notes.

Though fully aware of Obito's strength, Orochimaru's curiosity outweighed his caution. Having recently learned a few sage techniques at Ryūchi Cave, he felt confident in his stealth abilities.

"With sage techniques concealing my presence, there's no way anyone will notice me," he hissed, a sly smile spreading across his face.

But just as he began to infiltrate the base, a voice suddenly echoed in the darkness.

"So, you're Orochimaru, hmm?"

Orochimaru froze, his grin faltering as fear crept into his expression.

Uchiha Obito?!

Slowly turning around, Orochimaru found himself face-to-face with a man possessing a red Sharingan and a purple Rinnegan.

The man's face was stern and commanding, radiating an aura of pure dominance.

"Uchiha… Madara?!" Orochimaru blurted out, his vast knowledge instantly connecting the dots.

No, wait… This has to be Obito pretending to be Madara!

Forcing himself to remain calm, Orochimaru smiled weakly.

"Ah, Obito-sama, there's no need to tease me. I can explain everything that happened in Konoha."

Madara—or rather, Obito—smirked, amused by Orochimaru's groveling.

----------------

Pls Drop some Power Stones

Read more than +80 chapters and support me on Patreon

Patreon(.)com/Jixo