#65

Mufasa showed no mercy as he sent another jolt of electricity through Deidara's body. The stubborn ninja gritted his teeth, refusing to make a sound even as his body convulsed from the shock.

Sako stepped forward, her eyes gleaming with anticipation. "Sir, let me continue interrogating him. We still have plenty of torture methods left to try."

Mufasa waved her off. "No need. I have my own methods."

He reached out his hand, and the ropes binding the unconscious Deidara snapped. Before the ninja's limp body could hit the ground, Mufasa used his magnetic release to lift him into the air. "I'll take him somewhere else."

Without another word, Mufasa strode forward, Deidara's body floating behind him. They made their way through the dimly lit corridors of Orochimaru's hideout, the scent of chemicals and decay thick in the air. Eventually, they arrived at a research lab.

A light jolt of electricity coursed through Deidara's body. His eyes snapped open, and the first thing he saw was Mufasa standing over him. He quickly scanned the room—Orochimaru, Kabuto, and Karin were also present. His stomach twisted at the sight of various unidentifiable organs and body parts preserved in jars. Strange devices flickered ominously in the dim light.

"What the hell are you trying to do?" Deidara demanded, his voice hoarse.

Mufasa turned to Karin. "Let him take a bite first."

Karin hesitated, then stretched out her arm towards Deidara. Her pale skin was already covered in deep bite marks, some still fresh and bleeding.

Deidara's brow furrowed in confusion. "What the hell is this?"

Karin sighed. "Bite me. It'll help heal your injuries. Just do it."

He stared at her, clearly skeptical.

Mufasa smirked. "What's wrong? You afraid?"

Deidara scoffed. "Hmph. I'm not afraid of death, but biting people? That's just weird."

Despite his words, he bit down hard. Karin gritted her teeth, suppressing a cry of pain, but her ability worked instantly. Deidara felt his strength returning, his wounds closing at an unnatural speed. His fingers flexed experimentally, and he realized his chakra was stabilizing.

He narrowed his eyes at Mufasa. "Why are you helping me?"

Karin stepped back, rubbing her arm. Mufasa simply observed Deidara, then nodded. "Kabuto, you can proceed."

Kabuto approached, holding a small pill between his fingers. "Swallow this."

Deidara eyed the pill warily. "Yeah, no thanks." He clamped his mouth shut, determination flashing in his blue eyes.

Kabuto sighed, then activated his chakra scalpel. A sharp pain shot through Deidara's jaw as the nerves controlling his mouth were severed. His lips involuntarily parted, and Kabuto casually slipped the pill inside. Deidara coughed, struggling, but eventually swallowed it.

"What… was that?" he rasped.

Kabuto smirked. "A little something to enhance your sensory perception. It magnifies pain tenfold. Useful for training… and for other things."

Before Deidara could react, Kabuto traced the scalpel lightly across his cheek. A white-hot agony surged through his entire body. His nerves screamed in protest, his mind flooded with unbearable pain.

Deidara gasped. "Bastard! I'll blow you all to hell!"

He tried gathering chakra, but the moment he did, the electric coils around his wrists, ankles, and neck flared to life. His body convulsed violently as electricity surged through him. His vision blurred, his breath hitched. When the shocks ceased, he slumped forward, gasping for air.

Kabuto leaned closer, watching him with mild amusement. "Are you still conscious? Good."

Deidara glared at Mufasa with pure hatred. "You're a monster."

Mufasa shook his head. "No, on the contrary, I'm a reasonable man." He crouched down, leveling his gaze with Deidara's. "All I want is the knowledge inside your head. That's not too much to ask, is it?"

Deidara spat blood onto the ground. "Hah! I already told you, even if I die, I won't tell you anything."

Mufasa chuckled darkly. "Oh, you misunderstand. Dying is easy. Living, on the other hand, can be much, much harder."

He gestured towards Orochimaru. "I think you're already familiar with him."

Orochimaru's thin lips curled into a sinister smile. His long tongue flicked out, running across his lips. "The little games so far? Mere child's play." His golden snake-like eyes gleamed. "There are far more… effective methods at my disposal."

Deidara's breath hitched. The eerie aura surrounding Orochimaru sent chills down his spine.

"Is my explosive chakra technique really that important?" he asked, trying to mask his unease. "All it does is make things blow up."

Mufasa shrugged. "For you, maybe. But for me? It has far greater potential."

He smirked. "Gunpowder can be used to make fireworks… or cannons. Same principle. Different results."

Deidara remained silent.

Mufasa straightened. "I'll give you two days. Either you cooperate, or I'll have to take… alternative measures."

Deidara's stomach twisted. "What kind of measures?"

Mufasa smiled, but there was no warmth in it. "You love explosions, don't you? The fleeting beauty of destruction?" His voice dropped to a near whisper. "Then I'll make sure you experience it firsthand."

He leaned in. "I'll place a seal on you. And when I march against Iwagakure… I'll make you the most powerful human bomb they've ever seen."

Deidara's body went rigid.

"I can just picture it now," Mufasa continued, his voice almost mocking. "You, exploding in the heart of your own village. A grand masterpiece."

Deidara stared at him, wide-eyed. The sheer cruelty in those words left him momentarily speechless.

Finally, he gritted his teeth. "You plan to go to war with Iwagakure?"

Mufasa shrugged. "You think I need you for that?" He chuckled. "You're just an option. My real target is Onoki."

Deidara clenched his fists. "Onoki won't break so easily."

Mufasa's eyes gleamed. "We'll see." He turned towards the door. "The question is, will my free wind prove stronger… or will his stubborn rock endure?"

Deidara's heart pounded in his chest. He was out of options.

"…Fine," he muttered. "I'll give you the technique."

Deidara finally gave in, handing over the technique of imbuing chakra within materials.

Mufasa didn't waste any time. He passed the scroll to Orochimaru, his expression unreadable. "Study it carefully," he ordered. "Report any findings to me immediately."

Orochimaru accepted the scroll with a sinister smile before swallowing it whole. "Yes, my lord."

Mufasa turned to Deidara. "Come with me."

Deidara tensed. "What now?"

Mufasa's gaze hardened. "You attacked the Hidden Sand Village. Your actions caused immense damage to our economy and put countless lives at risk." He folded his arms. "As Kazekage, I sentence you to thirty years in prison. You'll spend that time contributing to the village through labor."

Deidara blinked in disbelief. "I…"

"Good. No objections? Then follow me."

With his electric restraints still in place, Deidara had little choice but to comply. He trailed behind Mufasa as they walked through the village, eventually arriving at a vast industrial facility—Sand Village's mechanical puppet production base. The usual bustle of craftsmen and ninjas was absent; most had been sent to help repair the infrastructure of the newly developed city. Now, only a few workers remained in the cavernous space.

Deidara's gaze drifted upwards, locking onto a towering mechanical beast—an enormous, lifelike puppet modeled after a creature of pure destruction. His eyes widened. Compared to this monstrosity, his clay dragons and garudas seemed insignificant.

A figure emerged from the construct, leaping down with practiced ease. The puppet master Sasori landed gracefully before them, his cloak billowing slightly.

Deidara's eyes widened in surprise. "You're alive?"

Sasori's expression remained unreadable. "And you're still breathing. Interesting."

Then, with a nod of respect, he greeted Mufasa. "Kazekage-sama."

Mufasa returned the nod. "Sasori. Good to see you."

Though his face remained still, Mufasa could feel the excitement radiating from Sasori. The master puppeteer was practically vibrating with energy. "I've seen the future of puppetry," Sasori muttered, his voice almost reverent. "What you spoke of before… I finally understand."

Over the past few days, Gaara had guided Sasori through the advancements in Sand Village's puppet technology, with Kankuro explaining the finer details. Sasori had been introduced to concepts he had never dreamed of before—mechanized war machines, autonomous constructs, cybernetic enhancements.

"Before, I thought my creations were masterpieces," he admitted. "But compared to these…" He gestured toward the mechanical colossus. "I was merely a child playing with toys."

Deidara scoffed. "Pfft. Fleeting beauty is the only true art."

Sasori didn't argue. He simply smirked. "You'll understand in time."

He gestured toward a nearby terminal. "In the digital world, you could detonate an entire planet if you wanted."

Deidara blinked. "Wait, what?"

Mufasa interrupted. "Enough. Sasori, I'm assigning Deidara to your team."

Sasori frowned. "My lord, he only knows how to blow things up. I'm in the middle of refining my work—he's useless to me."

Deidara's face twisted in offense. "Excuse me?"

Mufasa shook his head. "You're wrong. With the improvements in material chakra infusion, Deidara will be an excellent asset."

"…How?"

"He'll be a welder."

Sasori and Deidara both stared at him, dumbfounded. "A what?!"

Mufasa continued, unfazed. "By refining chakra infusion techniques, we can animate metal parts, allowing them to assemble themselves as we envision. Imagine how much more efficient puppet construction will become—and how much stronger our puppets will be."

Realization dawned in Sasori's eyes. He nodded. "Understood. Thank you, my lord." He turned to Deidara. "You heard him. I'm making you my second-in-command. Work hard."

Deidara's mind reeled. He had gone from a prisoner to a vice-captain in the blink of an eye. "…What just happened?"

Sasori ignored his confusion and picked up his tools. "Come on, we need to register you."

Mufasa left them to their work, heading instead to the laboratory.

—

In Orochimaru's symbiosis lab, eerie green fluid sloshed in countless tanks. Inside, living masses of Kakuzu's threads drifted aimlessly, the product of extensive research. After months of experimentation, Orochimaru and Kabuto had managed to cultivate a primitive form of Earth Grudge Fear for further study.

But for Kakuzu, the experiment was over.

He stood before Mufasa now, his piercing green eyes locked onto the Kazekage's. "I'm done here."

"You could stay," Mufasa offered.

Kakuzu shook his head. "Not interested. I take jobs. I make money. That's my way of life."

Mufasa regarded him for a moment before nodding. "I understand."

Kakuzu smirked. "You're really letting me go?"

"I'm a man of my word."

Kakuzu was skeptical but said nothing. He was ready to leave.

Then Mufasa spoke again. "Since you're Akatsuki's treasurer, I have a job for you. Interested?"

Kakuzu raised an eyebrow. "Depends. What's the mission?"

Mufasa's lips curled into a smirk. "Kill the Daimyo of the Land of Earth."

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Word count: 1763

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