《Naruto: Deidara's Struggle》Chapter 11: The Konoha ANBU's Raid

What a close battle that was. Deidara couldn't help but want to complain—how did Raiga Kurosuki, an elite jōnin-level rogue ninja, end up being taken down by a few genin later? It seemed that Konoha's genin were truly the most terrifying existence in the ninja world.

"What do you plan to do with this little girl?" Hiruko's raspy, sinister voice rang out. Coupled with his menacing appearance, he was absolutely terrifying to children. Karin, trembling all over, had tears welling up in her eyes, but she didn't dare cry aloud, fearing that the scary "uncle" beside her might get angry. In her mind, being captured by these two strange individuals was probably worse than staying in the Grass Village as a "healing bottle."

"Bring her back to the organization, of course. Pure-blooded members of the Uzumaki Clan like her are incredibly rare in today's ninja world. And this little girl seems to have some extraordinary innate abilities—she's practically a treasure!" Deidara replied. He figured Nagato wouldn't refuse to take in a fellow Uzumaki clansman.

So this is my fate after all, Karin thought. She couldn't escape her destiny as a "healing bottle," and now she'd been captured by an even more ruthless rogue ninja organization. Overwhelmed with fear, she collapsed to the ground.

"Hey! What are you crying about, little girl? We're the good guys, you know," Deidara said indignantly. Weren't protagonists supposed to be showered with gratitude after saving someone like Karin? Why was her reaction so different with him?

"Fine, I'll show you a magic trick. Watch closely!" Deidara clapped his hands together, successfully drawing Karin's attention. He smirked smugly—time to show off his secret technique!

"Triple... Blah Blah Blah!"

"Ahhh! You really are a man-eating demon!" Karin couldn't hold back anymore and burst into tears. Seeing three mouths simultaneously stick out their tongues was just too horrifying—it was like something straight out of a ghost story parents used to scare their children.

Deidara's face darkened, and he awkwardly retracted his tongues.

"What an ungrateful little brat!"

Suddenly, the sound of shurikens slicing through the air echoed from the shadows. Emerging silently were several figures clad in gray vests and wearing animal-themed masks—Konoha ANBU. They had been passing through the area on a mission when they were drawn to the commotion and came to investigate.

"Captain, what should we do?" A female ANBU with long purple hair stepped forward and asked the white-haired leader for instructions.

"We should retreat. This isn't our mission, and there's no need to get involved," another ANBU suggested.

From their perspective, the situation seemed clear: two rogue ninjas had attacked some Grass Village shinobi, and their apparent target was the red-haired girl who was crying her eyes out.

While the little girl piqued their curiosity, Konoha, as one of the great ninja villages, often had to maintain a facade of propriety. Even if they helped the Grass Village reclaim the girl, they'd likely have to return her due to diplomatic formalities. It wasn't worth risking their lives for something so trivial.

"No."

"You all check your ninja tools. We're taking down these two rogue ninjas." The white-haired ANBU captain dismissed the suggestion without turning around, his eyes fixed intently on the red-haired girl.

The other ANBU members were surprised. Their captain wasn't the type to go out of his way to do good deeds, and people like him typically wouldn't even be allowed to join ANBU, which handled the village's darker affairs.

Despite their confusion, the ANBU team followed orders without question. They began preparing for battle—checking their ninja tools, assessing their chakra levels, simulating combat scenarios, studying the terrain, and analyzing the enemy's abilities.

"Gray Fox, Sanrin, you'll join my shadow clone for a frontal assault." "Tenzō, Raiken, you two will handle suppression." "My real body will look for an opening to deliver a fatal strike. We'll target the blonde one first—he has flight capabilities and seems to be in poor condition after the previous battle."

"Yes!" "Understood!"

"Deidara, are you planning to handle this one yourself again?" Sasori's raspy voice broke through as Deidara struggled to calm Karin down.

Deidara paused, quickly realizing what Sasori meant. More enemies were coming, weren't they? Given the noise from their earlier battles, it wasn't surprising that other ninjas had been drawn here. But who were they? Grass Village reinforcements?

It didn't matter. He couldn't fight anymore. After two consecutive battles, his chakra was nearly depleted, and he was out of clay. He couldn't create any more "art."

"Brother Sasori, it's just a bit of fun! Why are you so mad? Hm!"

"Well, here's your chance," Sasori replied, his tone dripping with sarcasm. Ever since they'd started working together, Deidara had always hogged the spotlight, much to Sasori's annoyance. He wanted to showcase his own art too!

"They're here. Be careful!"

A series of flaming shurikens flew toward them from the distance. Their speed and precision far exceeded that of ordinary ninjas, showcasing the thrower's exceptional skill. People often underestimated the importance of basic techniques, but until you reached the level of someone like Madara Uchiha or Hashirama Senju—who could conjure anything with a clap of their hands—mastery of the basics was crucial.

Clang!

The sound of metal clashing echoed as Hiruko's tail swung out, effortlessly deflecting the shurikens. Meanwhile, Deidara quickly molded another Clay Bird, grabbing Karin and preparing to take to the skies once more, intending to exploit his aerial advantage.

"Not so fast!"

"Konoha-Style: Hazy Moon Night!"

The purple-haired ANBU leapt into the air, her blade moving at incredible speed. The rapid rotation of her sword created a crescent-shaped afterimage, resembling a full moon, as she charged toward the ascending Deidara.

"Brother Sasori! Save me!" Deidara shouted. It wasn't that he couldn't handle the attack, but as the enemy drew closer, he finally recognized the white-haired ANBU leader. Even with a mask, this man's identity was unmistakable—Kakashi 50/50, flagrantly executing ANBU missions under his obvious identity!

And judging by his demeanor, Deidara was clearly the primary target. In his current state, even at full strength, he wasn't confident he could fend off Kakashi.

"Deidara, it seems your art isn't very effective," Sasori remarked, his tone as cold and sinister as ever, though there was a hint of schadenfreude. Deidara had been acting far too cocky lately, not showing proper respect to his senior. The incident with the Seven-Tails Jinchūriki had particularly irked Sasori.

Still, mockery aside, Sasori didn't hesitate to act. He maneuvered Hiruko to intercept Kakashi and the purple-haired ANBU, positioning himself between them and Deidara.

"Not so fast!"

"Wood Release: Thorn Killing Technique!"

From the ground beneath Hiruko, a mass of thorny vines suddenly sprouted, binding the puppet tightly and rendering it immobile.

"Wood Release?!" Sasori was taken aback. In the ninja world, Wood Release was legendary, thanks to the overwhelming power of its last known wielder.

But there was no time to dwell on his surprise. Although temporarily restrained, Hiruko was merely a puppet. One of its arms extended unnaturally from beneath its Akatsuki cloak, growing larger and multiplying until it formed a massive cluster that blocked the path ahead.

"A puppet, huh?"

"Let me cut it down! Captain, keep advancing!" The purple-haired ANBU showed no hesitation, her confidence in her swordsmanship unwavering.

"And what about this?"

Hiss!

The severed arm began emitting a purple toxic gas, quickly enveloping the area and sealing it off.

"Retreat!"