“At the peak of the shinobi world, only a god could beat Ōnoki!”

Ōnoki nodded in satisfaction. It was good to listen to, and he liked it. ​​

(note: he’s imagining it.)

Narrowing his eyes and gauging Deidara, who was gaining benefits, Ōnoki grinned.

‘Deidara has grown up!’

‘Tsk! A bootlicking ass-kisser!’

Below, Kurotsuchi, with a pair of long legs and a head of black hair, spat in anger. Deidara, this guy, actually said the same words she used to beg him for help.

Humph!

‘Without me by your side, you are becoming more and more skilled, Deidara!’

A dangerous light flashed in Kurotsuchi’s eyes. She turned to look at her grandfather. She wanted to ask her grandfather to find a chance to catch him and bring him back!

‘Catch him …!’

‘Catch!’

“Grandpa?”

Seeing Ōnoki huffing and puffing, Kurotsuchi blinked dully as she wondered what she had done wrong.

“Kurotsuchi, if you were half as smart as Deidara, the Fourth Tsuchikage of Iwagakure would have been you!”

“Grandpa, what did you say?”

Kurotsuchi instantly blew up. It was not about being the Fourth Tsuchikage, but she was Ōnoki’s granddaughter and knew how much effort the Shadow’s affairs required.

Besides, with her current status, no one in Iwagakure would dare to talk to her like this.

But, she didn’t want to be the Fourth Tsuchikage.

She only blew up because her grandfather said she wasn’t half as smart as Deidara!

‘How was that possible?’

‘I have a lot more intelligence in my one toe than that guy’s entire head!’

“Oh, you’re not convinced? ” Ōnoki shook his head. This granddaughter of his, smart and agile but too high-minded and arrogant.

“Did you see what Deidara just did?”

“Tsk, what else should I see … it was flattery, who wouldn’t do that?”

Kurotsuchi muttered. When she saw Ōnoki drifting to her face with a stern face, she quickly changed to a naïve look.

“Grandpa ~ my good grandpa just tell me, okay~~~?”

“… I’m really worried about you.”

Ōnoki couldn’t stand Kurotsuchi’s spoiled act and gently stroked the top of Kurotsuchi’s head. This was still effective in the shinobi world.

“You see, Deidara, with a mere word of flattery, not only solved his situation but also gained benefits.”

Ōnoki nodded and spoke in a serious tone, “In the shinobi world, without having a lot of power, this ability to adapt to changes is extremely valuable.

A great man can bend and stretch, judge the situation, know when to advance or retreat, and understand gains and losses. You are far inferior to Deidara in this matter.”

Ōnoki spoke with a few hints of warning in his voice, “Whether it’s the shinobi world or anywhere else, rigidity is easy to break. You see the Third Raikage, even though he is the enemy of ten thousand people, he isn’t advancing…”

After listening to her grandfather’s long lecture, Kurotsuchi’s face darkened as she turned her head and spat her tongue out. Her eyes happened to fall on the bootlicking Deidara again.

‘Him? That good?’

‘Making Grandpa think he’s a “great man”!?’

Kurotsuchi’s eyes twitched slightly as she heard her grandfather’s words of heartache and regretted Deidara’s defection from Iwagakure.

‘Since you’re so strong, get your ass back here!’ Kurotsuchi made up her mind. She was going to find a chance to grab and drag him back from Akatsuki.

Get him back so he could work as the Fourth, and she could stay free.

　　…

‘Hm?’

‘My name again?’

Uzumaki Naruto was somewhat excited, and he found that his name appeared a little frequently.

‘What does this mean?’

‘I’m probably a hero!’

Uzumaki Naruto touched his bare chin and posed like a hero.

“As the number one reckless shinobi in the world, the answer to this question must be me!”

Uzumaki Naruto, who vowed to make a big splash, didn’t notice one thing.

Not far behind him, behind the building, a little head was stealthy popping out.

A pair of snowy white eyes fell on him. The face exploded in a blush, and it was as if smoke began to escape from her head.

Love was blind.

In the eyes of others, Uzumaki Naruto’s words were arrogant. In Hyūga Hinata’s young mind, it was just a goal that Naruto hadn’t accomplished yet.

‘Naruto, the answer is definitely you!’

“Ojou-sama, we should go back.”

“Ah? okay…”

Hyūga Hinata retracted her gaze reluctantly and followed her clan’s people behind her to leave one step at a time.

The posing Uzumaki Naruto didn’t notice the scene happening behind him.

　　…

In the space, Hoshigaki Kisame was no longer listening.

He was an honest man, and Deidara’s words were so disgusting that he couldn’t stand them.

What’s more, after talking for a long while, the guy hadn’t repeated anything.

‘Too damn creative!’

‘So powerful!’

He could make him, an S-class renegade shinobi feel so awkward; he was shivering. As if his whole body had countless bugs crawling on it. This Deidara had talent!

If it weren’t for the Leader being here, he couldn’t wait to tell Deidara:

‘I, Hoshigaki Kisame, would like to say, you have the strongest “talk no jutsu” in the world!’

Unfortunately, these classic words from Deidara’s mouth weren’t compliments for him, Hoshigaki Kisame.

“Leader, as I see it, these people in the answer aren’t as strong as you, but they will all be a hindrance to you. Especially option C, Might Guy, who’s on the Shinobi World List …”

Before Kisame could finish his words, Nagato raised his hand and stopped him.

His mind hadn’t yet calmed down from the first question to the second question, from fright to relief, and then to the great joy of this question. His mind was now in a bit of a trance.

The emotional ups and downs made him feel a little mentally exhausted.

“Stop thinking about the strength of these people.”

The corner of Pain’s mouth was slightly raised. It was overwhelming confidence!

“Deidara is right! With my strength, these five are as good as grass in my eyes, and Konohagakure is even worse!

So, what they used to stop me should be strength!”

Nagato’s voice was unmistakably condescending. As if on trial, he looked around at the stunned crowd and continued to speak.

“So, I want to reverse the thinking on this question. I don’t know who the strongest is among these five people, but the weakest one should be the fourth, Uzumaki Naruto!”

“What do you guys … think?”

　　…

‘Think?’

‘I think you’re fucking crazy!

‘Madness!’

‘How arrogant!’

In Konohagakure, a group of Konoha shinobi was shaking with anger when they heard Pain’s arrogant words.

As the largest shinobi village, Konoha, numerous people wanted to move their families to Konohagakure.

This was the most powerful place in the shinobi world, the most stable place to live.

Living in Konoha, they didn’t have to worry about being killed by a jutsu when they slept at night and didn’t have to worry about renegade shinobis causing a riot.

Konohagakure had always been their pride!

‘This damn Akatsuki, how dare he call Konoha worse than grass?!’

For a moment, both shinobis and civilians living in Konohagakure felt angry.

If it weren’t for the live broadcast not conveying their voices to Akatsuki, Akatsuki would have been cursed to death!

“Heh, as if Akatsuki was that awesome? Aren’t you still going to get killed?”

“You guys are going to die. Why are you still acting arrogantly against my Konoha?!”

“No. Aren’t they our undercover spies? Why are they still going to attack us?”

“Fuck it, undercover or not, come on! Let them come!”

“Exactly! Fuck you, Akatsuki. I’ll look down on you if you don’t come! My house is in Konoha, come on! I dare you to come and demolish it!”

“Heh, not only is my home here, but the whole seven generations of my family are here. Come on, just try and kill us!”

“Let’s go to Hokage-sama and apply to invite Akatsuki for a fight!”

“Yeah, ask Hokage-sama to invite them here and fight! No one will be spared! We will destroy them all! Go go go; everyone should apply to the Third Hokage!”

“Go go go!”

“Go!”

A group of people marched toward the Hokage’s office.