Chapter 37: Two More Recruits Turned

"How could it come to this?"

Rin collapsed onto the ground, overwhelmed. She had never once questioned her beliefs. To her, the village was justice itself, an unquestionable truth. Yet, the reality revealed to her was unbearably cruel.

Deidara, exuding an air reminiscent of Orochimaru, extended his hand politely and said, "It's precisely because we've seen the harsh truth of the shinobi world that our organization strives to create true peace."

"Come, join us."

"For the future of the shinobi world! For peace!"

Rin, still reeling from the emotional blow, hesitated before taking Deidara's hand. She stood up shakily, her mind consumed by confusion.

"Peace?" she murmured. "How… how do we achieve it?"

She seemed lost, like a soul stripped of purpose.

"Rin! Don't believe him!" shouted Hyūga Kazuto, still bound on the ground. As a member of the Hyūga branch family, Kazuto had witnessed the cold realities of life from a young age. Compared to Rin's naïveté, he had faced much more darkness and was not as easily swayed.

The internal oppression within the Hyūga clan alone was far beyond what outsiders could comprehend—the brutality of the Main Family's dominance over the Branch Family was enough to harden anyone's resolve.

"A branch family ninja like you," Deidara sneered, "dares speak of the Will of Fire?"

"I am not only a Hyūga Branch Family ninja," Kazuto retorted, "but also a shinobi of Konoha. Why wouldn't I have the Will of Fire?"

"If Konoha truly respected the Branch Family, then why does it turn a blind eye to the Main Family's cruelty? Surely no one would tolerate their comrades being reduced to mere slaves, would they?"

"If they would, it means they never saw you as comrades to begin with."

Kazuto fell silent. He thought of the countless indignities the Branch Family had suffered—the cruelty of the Main Family, the unyielding oppression, and the horrifying Caged Bird seal.

"Caged Bird." Deidara's voice dripped with derision. "What a fitting name. They didn't even bother disguising the insult. It's a humiliation of the soul itself."

"Don't you want to fight back against the Main Family?"

The atmosphere grew heavy with tension. After a long silence, Kazuto spoke again, his tone calm but resolute.

"Nice speech. But why should I trust that your organization has the strength to back up its claims?"

"You admitted it yourself—despite being S-rank missing-nin, you're no match for the great shinobi villages."

Deidara smirked, sensing his victory was near. "I'll take you to meet our leader. Once you see him, all doubts will vanish."

Then he turned to Rin. "As for you, heal these injured civilians. Think of it as atonement for your past sins."

"And after that?" Rin asked hollowly.

"Return to Konoha," Deidara said, his tone coaxing. "Do your best to fit in. One day, we'll find you again and give your life new meaning. We'll grant you the power to join us in pursuing peace."

"Yes!" Rin bowed deeply, her hands clasped in front of her. She was no longer the same person—her soul had been irrevocably changed.

"There's no need to use Memory-Concealing Manipulative Sand on these two," Deidara remarked to Sasori. "They're already like-minded comrades. And no one uses such methods on comrades, right?"

After another day of rest to allow Deidara to recover, he and Sasori departed from Matsuzaka City. With the threat of Zoey resolved, there was no need for them to stay. Naturally, they took Kazuto with them.

Their next destination: a secret Akatsuki hideout in the Land of Rivers, where Kazuto would meet Nagato.

The hideout was near a small river, flanked by a towering cliff. Familiar, isn't it? It was the same place where Shukaku's sealing took place in the original story.

When Nagato received Deidara's message, he hesitated for a moment. Half a month without Deidara's antics had been oddly peaceful, and now the troublemaker was bringing someone else back—again. First, it was the Seven-Tails Jinchūriki. Then it was Karin. Then Nokizaru Group. And now a Hyūga Branch Family ninja. Why was Deidara always piling more work on him?

The massive boulder blocking the cave entrance rolled aside, and Kazuto followed Deidara and Sasori inside. The sight that greeted him left him stunned.

"Rinnegan!" he gasped.

"This is our leader, Pain," Deidara introduced. "So, still think we can't take on Konoha?"

Kazuto's gaze lingered on the Rinnegan, his heart racing. The legendary dōjutsu of the Sage of Six Paths… Seeing it left no room for doubt. His resolve hardened—this was his chance to liberate the Branch Family from the Main Family's tyranny.

"Well done, Deidara," Nagato praised.

Deidara scoffed. "What's the point of praise if you're not paying me? Still no salary?"

Nagato: "…"

Why was this guy so obsessed with money? They were S-rank missing-nin, for crying out loud. Was a paycheck really that important?

"You've done well," Pain said in his usual detached tone. "Tomorrow, I'll convene the next Akatsuki meeting. Rest until then."

Deidara flopped onto a clay bed he had sculpted for himself. Surprisingly, it was as soft and comfortable as a high-end mattress. As he relaxed, a thought struck him.

"Right! I haven't checked my system since the last battle."

[Strongest Artist System]

Host: Deidara

Shock Value: 2700/10000

Skill Points: 1

Unlocked Skills: Explosion Mastery Level 1, Enhanced C2 Dragon, Improved Clay, Chakra Reinforcement, Anti-Lightning Clay, Ultra-High Heat, Insect Mastery, Ninjutsu Enhancement.

After spending one skill point during the battle, Deidara had leveled up and still had one point left. He examined his skill tree, eyeing several tempting options.

But every single one required additional conditions to unlock. With a sigh, he decided to hold onto his skill point for now.

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Pls Drop some Power Stones

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