Chapter 96: Witness My Susanoo

This marked Deidara's third time in Konohagakure. The same gatekeepers, Kotetsu and Izumo, were standing watch.

This time, the Chūnin Exam delegation consisted of Deidara as the lead, with Sasori as his deputy, accompanied by Kurotsuchi, Suigetsu, and Karin.

Initially, the group alone seemed sufficient. But with so few participants, how could they infiltrate without arousing suspicion? Three contestants with nine spectators? That wasn't going to fly. This wasn't some cheesy group-favoring story, and Konoha would've spotted the oddity instantly.

So, five additional three-man teams were added, making six squads and 18 people in total. This way, the other seven members of Akatsuki could blend in without sticking out like sore thumbs.

After registering at the gate, the group was led to the same inn as before by Koharu Utatane.

Why her again? Why the same place? Don't ask—just call it a time loop.

...

"Kurotsuchi, stop clinging. You're heavy," Deidara remarked flatly.

"Deidara, let's go explore!" Kurotsuchi ignored him and clung even tighter.

"Fine. Let's go," he sighed, giving in.

As they strolled out of the inn, Kurotsuchi's eyes gleamed.

"What's fun or tasty around here?" she asked, gripping his arm.

Without hesitation, Deidara replied, "Ichiraku Ramen. It's the best spot in all of Konoha."

"Ramen? Is it really that great?" Kurotsuchi sounded skeptical.

"You'll understand when you try it."

Since this was his third visit, Deidara navigated the streets with ease—until they stumbled upon a small confrontation.

A blonde boy with whisker marks, a stoic black-haired boy, and a pink-haired girl gazing starry-eyed at the latter.

Facing off against them were a sleep-deprived boy with heavy eye bags, a rowdy teen covered in face paint, and a blonde girl wielding an oversized fan.

Familiar, isn't it?

Yep, it was Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura versus Gaara's sibling trio: Kankurō, Temari, and Gaara himself.

"Huh? Didn't Sunagakure get destroyed? What are Sand shinobi doing at the Chūnin Exams?" Deidara wondered aloud, tilting his head.

Hearing this, Kankurō immediately bristled, glaring daggers at Deidara.

"Hey, you loudmouth! You trying to pick a fight?"

To be fair, Deidara was only a few years older than Naruto and Sasuke—four, to be exact—and just two years older than Kankurō. It wasn't hard to see why the Sand shinobi thought Deidara was another exam participant.

"What's with the attitude?" Kurotsuchi snapped, glaring right back. "Deidara- was just stating the truth!"

"Enough talk! Looks like I'll have to teach you both a lesson!" Kankurō growled, his temper flaring.

Losing their village had left the Sand siblings scarred, and any mention of its destruction was a sore spot for them. Kankurō, already short-tempered, couldn't let it slide.

"Kankurō." Temari placed a calming hand on her brother's shoulder.

Unlike her hotheaded sibling, Temari had developed a cautious mindset after their village's downfall. The loss had left her fearful, and she preferred avoiding unnecessary conflict.

"Relax. I know what I'm doing," Kankurō muttered. His confidence stemmed from the puppet on his back—an early masterpiece of the legendary Sasori of the Red Sand. Though not Sasori's finest work, it was still a treasure for any puppeteer.

Kankurō had even mastered controlling three puppets simultaneously during their nomadic struggles, achieving jōnin-level skills at just 13.

"Tch. You think your little puppet show can intimidate me?" Deidara smirked, stepping forward and nudging Kurotsuchi aside. "Let me handle this."

Deidara extended his fingers, releasing chakra threads. With a flick of his hand, he manipulated nearby tree branches into a crude puppet—a humanoid figure holding a plank as a shield and a sharpened stick as a sword. Leaves wrapped around it, giving it a vaguely polished appearance.

"Behold my masterpiece!" Deidara announced proudly. "I call it... Susanoo!"

"Susanoo?! You're mocking puppeteers everywhere, you bastard!" Kankurō roared. His temper boiled over, and even Temari couldn't stop him this time.

Kankurō's puppet, Crow, emerged from its wrappings, revealing its three eyes. Its mouth opened, launching a barrage of needles—slim and nearly invisible, even finer than senbon.

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

The needles struck Susanoo's makeshift shield. Deidara leaned in for a closer look.

"Huh. No poison? You're holding back, aren't you?" he teased.

"Shut up, you bastard!" Kankurō shouted. Crow swooped in, its arms extending to slash at Deidara with razor-sharp blades.

"Let's see how you handle my Sword!" Deidara declared, directing Susanoo to strike.

Instead of clashing head-on, Deidara had Susanoo's sword target Crow's chakra threads. With a swift slash, the threads snapped.

"What?!" Kankurō's face twisted in shock. With his control severed, Crow fell to the ground, useless.

"See? Your second-rate puppet can't compete with my Susanoo," Deidara taunted with a sly grin.

"I'm not done yet!" Kankurō snarled, reattaching his threads. This time, he maneuvered Crow to circle behind Deidara for a sneak attack.

Blades gleamed as Crow closed in.

Deidara smirked.

"Time for another lesson." With a flick of his fingers, Susanoo struck again, severing every single thread. Crow collapsed in a heap.

"How?! How are you so familiar with my techniques?" Kankurō asked, utterly shaken.

Deidara chuckled, finally dropping the act.

"It's simple. I learned puppet techniques from someone much better than you—Sasori of the Red Sand. He's a close friend of mine."

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

Pls Drop some Power Stones

Fanfic is finished on Patreon (241 chapters in total.) 

Patreon(.)com/Jixo (for only $4.50, read this entire fanfic)