Departure

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"So, in other words…" Mu said with a faint, enigmatic smile as he looked at Deidara. "Alright, I agree to work with you."

Deidara turned his head slightly, his expression awkward but determined. "Hmph! The only reason I agreed to team up with you is because your abilities… they're somewhat artistic," he declared proudly.

"Is that so? Well, regardless of the reasoning, the goal has been achieved," Mu replied calmly, a faint smile spreading across his handsome face.

"Hmph! A ninja like you can't possibly just be a simple bounty hunter. You must have some ulterior motive—why else would you go out of your way to bring me into your plans?" Deidara questioned suspiciously. Though he claimed his decision was based on art, deep down, he knew Mu had intentionally sought him out.

"A motive? Yes, I do have one. But truthfully, I could carry out my plans without you. Meeting you was simply an unexpected bonus. As for why I want you by my side—it's because you're an incredibly gifted shinobi. Though your current strength may not be impressive, your potential is undeniable. Any reasonable person would want to collaborate with someone like you," Mu explained sincerely. And it was true; befriending a powerful shinobi was always advantageous.

"Hmph!! You really do have good judgment!! Hahaha!" Deidara burst into laughter, clearly delighted by Mu's praise.

"Your ambition is to showcase your art to the world, isn't it? But attacking ordinary people holds no real significance for you—it proves nothing. How about taking on something bigger instead?" Mu suggested with a sly smile.

"Oh? If even you consider it a big job, it must be quite extraordinary. Sounds thrilling!" Deidara asked eagerly, intrigued.

"It is thrilling. However, this mission wasn't commissioned by anyone—it's something I intend to accomplish myself," Mu said matter-of-factly.

"Something you want to do yourself?" Deidara raised an eyebrow in confusion. Mu chuckled and gestured around them. "This place isn't safe anymore. Let's leave before the Cloud Village shinobi arrive—they'll be here soon." The commotion from their earlier battle hadn't gone unnoticed, and Mu knew reinforcements wouldn't take long to arrive.

"Hmph! Those barbaric fools from the Cloud Village who don't understand art? I'm not afraid of them!" Deidara scoffed arrogantly.

"It's not about fear; it's about avoiding unnecessary conflict right now. Come on," Mu urged calmly.

"Tch!" Deidara rolled his eyes but followed Mu nonetheless. Together, they swiftly disappeared from the clearing, leaving behind only the gentle rustling of grass swaying in the night breeze. The thick smoke from Deidara's explosions gradually dispersed as the area returned to its natural stillness.

---

Not long after their departure, a squad of Cloud Village shinobi arrived at the scene. The leader surveyed the devastated field, his brows furrowing.

"Captain, it seems there was a battle here not too long ago. From the looks of it, it was likely caused by the Iwa shinobi who attacked the border town," one of the Cloud shinobi reported grimly.

"Tch! Damned Iwa scum—are they trying to start a war?!" the captain growled angrily. Turning to his subordinates, he barked orders: "Nokui, return to the village immediately and report this incident to Lord Raikage. The rest of you, continue heading toward the town to assist the civilians!"

"Yes, sir!" the group chorused before vanishing into the shadows.

The area fell silent once more. However, shortly after the Cloud shinobi left, the ground near the edge of the forest began to shift. Slowly, a figure emerged from beneath the earth.

The man wore a black cloak adorned with red clouds, and two large green appendages resembling plant leaves protruded from either side of his head, giving him an eerie appearance. What made him truly unsettling, though, was his face—one half white, the other black, as if representing yin and yang.

The white side bore normal features, twisted into a mischievous grin, while the black side had only a single yellow eye and no mouth, exuding an ominous aura.

"It seems something rather interesting happened here recently. Did that brat Deidara cause another terrorist mess?" the white half remarked mockingly.

"Judging by the signs, it appears to have been a battle. We don't know who his opponent was, but Deidara is already on our organization's recruitment list. Leader-sama instructed us to keep an eye on him," rasped the voice of the black half, distinct and chilling compared to the playful tone of the white half.

"Indeed. It seems Leader-sama has already decided to recruit Deidara. Sasori, Itachi, and Kisame have already set out, and it won't be long before they make contact with him. Our organization will gain yet another member," the white half chirped gleefully.

"But given Deidara's personality, he's not exactly the type to obediently follow orders," the black half commented darkly.

"Heh, that's Itachi and the others' problem—to tame him is their task. We'll just watch the show. Still, I'm curious what kind of chaos Deidara's fiery temperament will bring to our organization," the white half mused with amusement.

"The sole reason we're recruiting him is that Leader-sama believes his abilities will benefit the organization. Nothing more. Let's go," the black half stated coldly.

"Tsk, Black Zetsu, you're such a killjoy," White Zetsu quipped sarcastically. With that, his body sank back into the ground, disappearing entirely without a trace, as if he'd never been there at all.