Chapter 80: The White Fang of the Leaf?!

Chapter 80: The White Fang of the Leaf?!

"Damn it, is my reputation really that bad?"

As dusk fell, Kitagawa Gen moved swiftly across the Land of Earth, accompanied by Kakashi and Jiraiya.

Infiltrating the area wasn't particularly difficult—especially with someone like Gen on the team.

All he had to do was leave Flying Thunder God markers on merchant caravans or even random passersby. As long as the distance wasn't too great, he could teleport everyone in with ease.

Still, Gen was in a sour mood. He had just spent hours reading alongside Kakashi, and it left him thoroughly frustrated.

Was there no trust at all between master and student?

Thankfully, he'd used a shadow clone to sneak away while Kakashi was in the bathroom...

"And why the hell did I yell 'You'll regret this!' like some drama queen?"

Gen pursed his lips, recalling his own dramatic outburst. Even he found it laughable—until he remembered that Kakashi was probably going to become the Sixth Hokage. That sobered him up quickly.

"Alright, focus on the mission."

Kakashi gave Gen a pat on the back and whispered, "We can relax once we're back. But right now, we're in the Land of Earth. This isn't like the Rain Country—we need to stay sharp."

"He's right. No room for carelessness now," Jiraiya added with a nod.

"Last time in the Mist Village, things were easier thanks to Zabuza. He guided us straight to the target. This time, we're on our own."

"I know," Gen replied seriously. He understood full well the weight of this mission.

If he remembered correctly, Deidara had been recruited by a group consisting of Uchiha Itachi, Kisame, and Sasori.

But he hadn't forgotten how, the moment Deidara slashed his forehead protector and donned the Akatsuki cloak, Pain and a whole bunch of others suddenly appeared.

Even if he suspected that the animators were just being lazy and reused the same scene, it was still a clear warning: stay cautious.

Especially since his mission this time was an unexpected one—who knew what surprises might be waiting?

At the very least, he needed to consider whether his small body could withstand a Dust Release attack.

That's why he had scattered Flying Thunder God markers along the way and even used his sneaky little side trip to double-check them.

Whether for a clean escape or just a rapid retreat, they were absolutely necessary.

"There it is."

Soon, they arrived at a rundown old shrine in the distance. Jiraiya compared it with the intel scroll and nodded in satisfaction.

"Looks like the ANBU got it right this time. Kakashi, how does this compare to your old missions?"

"…Hard to say," Kakashi replied after a pause. "Back then, I focused on eliminating targets. We rarely got involved with intel gathering."

"Kakashi-sensei, Jiraiya-sama," Gen chimed in quietly, "instead of worrying about how accurate the info is, maybe we should be asking what kind of person would choose to live in a place like this."

"If the Akatsuki came all the way out here, they've probably got a goal in mind."

"I think I have a rough idea," Jiraiya said with a grin, pulling out a scroll and raising an eyebrow.

"You thought I was just goofing off? I disguised myself as a merchant and did some recon around the Land of Earth. Turns out, I picked up something interesting."

"I did some digging too," Kakashi added with a shrug. When Gen shot him a look, he grinned.

"Hey, don't look at me like that. This is basic ninja work.

According to the local traders, they've been hearing explosions around here pretty often lately. Everyone thinks something's going on, but nothing ever comes of it…"

"There's a guy in Iwagakure who's always performing dangerous experiments and causing trouble," Jiraiya continued, picking up the thread. "He pissed off a lot of people, so eventually the village had him exiled to the outskirts."

"His signature? A love for blowing things up. And supposedly, he's got a rather unique identity."

"Yeah," Kakashi said with a grave expression. "Rumor is, he's the Third Tsuchikage's student—Deidara."

That revelation left both Jiraiya and Kakashi puzzled. If the intel from Danzo was accurate, Iwagakure had been a client of Akatsuki's.

So why would they show up here now? Were they targeting Deidara?

Only Gen rolled his eyes—apparently, he wasn't the only one who had gone off-script with a secret side mission.

"Alright, now that we've got the full picture, let's move in quickly."

Jiraiya clapped his hands and then looked at Kitagawa Gen, lowering his voice.

"Gen, are all the Flying Thunder God markers you placed still intact?"

"Don't worry, I checked them thoroughly at noon—no issues at all."

Gen nodded confidently, but this response made Kakashi's eyes go wide.

"Noon? Weren't you reading then? Wait a second—you slipped away while I was in the bathroom?!"

"Come on, Kakashi-sensei, you already know the answer. Why ask?"

"But you—"

"Isn't this just standard ninja protocol? Right, Kakashi-sensei?"

"…"

Kakashi was speechless. He hadn't expected that boomerang of sarcasm to hit so fast. Maybe it really was time to propose a major reform to the Leaf's education system.

As the trio picked up speed, over in the temple ahead…

"Feel the art—hm!"

Deidara hurled a string of clay spiders and shouted as Uchiha Itachi leapt backward.

Boom!

With a thunderous blast, the clay bombs exploded and blew a hole in the temple wall.

Itachi, however, was too quick—he avoided the direct hit. But just as he landed, a clay centipede burst from the ground and wrapped tightly around him.

"Ha!"

Seeing this, Deidara couldn't help but grin.

"So much for all that talk. That's all you've got?"

He raised one hand to trigger a detonation. "Let's finish this—hm!"

But Itachi's scarlet Sharingan calmly locked onto Deidara, and he spoke coldly:

"Maybe you should take a look at yourself right now."

"Huh?"

Deidara was confused for a moment—but then a wave of unease swept over him. His mind blurred for a split second, then clarity hit like a hammer.

"W-What…?"

Only now did he realize that the clay centipede meant for Itachi was actually coiled around himself.

If he'd triggered the explosion just a moment ago…

"That was close. I almost blew myself up," he muttered.

Kisame, who'd been watching from the sidelines, chuckled mockingly.

"Big attitude, little brain."

Even the usually silent Sasori shook his head. "Yep. He really does look like someone destined to die young."

"Genjutsu? When…?"

Deidara was still in shock. He had absolutely no idea when it had taken hold.

Kakuzu smirked from the side. "From the very beginning—right when you made eye contact with his Sharingan."

"Genjutsu…"

Deidara turned his head toward the hole in the wall—and at that moment, a shaft of golden sunlight poured in, bathing Uchiha Itachi in warm light.

The glow struck his red Sharingan eyes, and for a heartbeat, Deidara was transfixed.

He felt like he was witnessing the essence of the beauty he had always sought.

"So beautiful…"

The words slipped out in a whisper.

"Is this… true art?"

Whoosh—

Before he could reflect any further, a kunai whistled through the air straight toward Itachi.

"Hm?"

Itachi had thought the battle was over, but the sudden attack made his brow furrow.

As he turned his head to dodge, the sunlight glinted off something on the kunai's handle—a Flying Thunder God seal.

"That's—!"

In an instant, Itachi's eyes morphed into Mangekyō Sharingan.

At that very moment, a figure emerged from thin air, blade flashing with crackling violet lightning.

Boom!

An earth-shaking blast erupted. Purple lightning crackled wildly, and a deep fissure tore through the temple floor. The nearby Buddha statue was cleaved clean in two.

"What the hell just happened?!"

Deidara was completely dumbfounded. The golden sunlight had vanished into a cloud of smoke and dust, and the majestic, almost divine figure of Uchiha Itachi was now sprawled awkwardly on the ground.

That ethereal, artistic moment he'd nearly engraved into memory—it was utterly shattered.

Shielding himself from flying debris, Deidara frantically searched for the attacker.

"This… this is art!"

That brilliant flash, that explosive flourish—that was what he'd been searching for all along!

"But… where did he go?"

Still dazed, Deidara scanned the area but couldn't spot a single person. Meanwhile, Kisame's expression had turned grim.

"This is bad…"

He recognized that move—it had been used against Uchiha Obito once.

If that strike had landed on him, he wouldn't be standing now.

"What was that just now?"

Sasori's voice was as flat as ever, but his mind was racing. Kakuzu's earlier warning echoed in his head.

Itachi staggered back to the group, catching his breath. All three Akatsuki members stood poised, eyes fixed on the temple entrance.

As the dust settled, three figures with white hair slowly stepped into view.

"Kakashi Hatake… Jiraiya… and that guy…"

Seeing the trio, Itachi and Kisame both tensed.

"As I thought… the White Fang of the Leaf!"

Suddenly, Sasori lunged into action. His puppet, Hiruko, immediately shifted into battle mode.

"Huh?"

Kitagawa Gen, who had just reappeared beside Jiraiya and Kakashi via Flying Thunder God, was caught off guard. He had just been lamenting missing Obito and Orochimaru when—

Countless gleaming senbon, laced with poison, came flying toward them under the dusk light.

"Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall!"

Jiraiya and Kakashi moved in sync, forming hand signs. Two massive walls of earth rose instantly to shield them.

Within seconds, those walls were riddled with needles like giant porcupines.

And then—a blade-tipped tail stabbed through the earth wall, piercing it with ease and lunging straight at Kitagawa Gen!

That's when Gen finally understood. Glancing at his short blade, then his white hair—

"…He thinks I'm the White Fang?!"