As the granddaughter of the Third Tsuchikage, the strongest of the younger generation in the Village, the fifteen-year-old Kurotsuchi exuded confidence from head to toe. She was usually enthusiastic and bold, possessing the Lava Release Bloodline Limit in her Ninjutsu, making her powerful and beautiful. She enjoyed extremely high prestige among the younger generation in Iwagakure.
Not content with her current achievements, she had long since left the comfortable Village, roughing it on the border to hone her Ninjutsu and develop her ability to handle affairs.
She had heard that Ino from Konoha Village was quite famous and had always wanted to spar with her, but her grandfather always stopped her.
Don't ask. If you ask, the answer is no!
Still asking? Go copy the will of stone a hundred times!
Kurotsuchi was extremely dissatisfied. She was the same age as Tenten and Neji, and a year older than Ino and Naruto, making them all peers.
She had heard many stories about Ino beating Chōjūrō of the Hidden Mist and pummeling the Jinchuriki of Sunagakure, which made her hands itch. However, her grandfather was as stubborn as a rock, and she had no choice but to find things to do herself, so she took on many patrol missions.
The Village offered her a squad, but she said she didn't need one. She hadn't heard of Ino from Konoha Village needing a squad when she went out, so why should she? If danger arose, it was uncertain who would protect whom, so no need!
The Third Tsuchikage also believed his granddaughter was very strong and that nothing major would happen within the Land of Earth.
This day, Kurotsuchi was patrolling the border, killing rogue Ninja who tried to enter the Land of Earth, when she suddenly heard a few civilians say that a strange person wearing a black robe with red clouds, with long golden hair, who caused explosions at the slightest provocation, had appeared in the town ahead.
She instantly became alert. Deidara! How dare you, a traitor, return to the Land of Earth?!
On the other side, through intelligence from the Yamanaka Clan, Ino roughly pinpointed Deidara's range of movement, then created explosions in several surrounding towns to lure the real Deidara over.
Under her clever enticement, the real Deidara and Kurotsuchi collided.
Deidara was a disciple of the Third Tsuchikage, a year older than Kurotsuchi. The two grew up together as childhood friends, but there was no romantic relationship between them. In Kurotsuchi's eyes, Deidara was simply too chuunibyo. Kurotsuchi hoped her partner would be mature, steady, and a strong individual she could rely on. She disliked someone with a childish personality like Deidara.
The two had no chemistry whatsoever. They started fighting after only a few words upon meeting.
Ino observed from inside the Chameleon Castle.
Speaking of which, Deidara was truly a pity. With the Tsuchikage as his teacher and a promising future, he betrayed the Village despite such excellent conditions.
The succession order for the Hokage in Konoha was the Third Hokage, Jiraiya, and Minato Namikaze. The Tsuchikage also had a similar succession order: the Third Tsuchikage, his son Kitsuchi, and then one of the three disciples from the grandchild generation.
The succession in Konoha had problems, and Iwagakure also failed to complete the transition smoothly.
Kitsuchi was Kurotsuchi's father and the Third Tsuchikage's son, poised to take over as Tsuchikage. However, he'd been preparing for twenty years. Now Kitsuchi was over forty, and his father showed no signs of retiring. The younger generation had also grown up. How embarrassing for him? He simply decided, 'I won't compete anymore; let the next generation take over.'
The Third Tsuchikage's three disciples, in order of age, were Akatsuchi, Deidara, and Kurotsuchi.
Akatsuchi was a large Fat Man. Being a Village Kage in the Ninja World didn't require the appearance of a 'handsome young man from ten miles around,' but one's looks couldn't be too bad; it was a matter of image. Even if Akatsuchi could sit on Ōtsutsuki Kaguya and kill her, his nearly three-hundred-pound physique couldn't make him Tsuchikage. His appearance was simply too low, and there was concern he would affect the Village's image. Moreover, he didn't even have that ability.
From beginning to end, Deidara's only competitor was Kurotsuchi.
If only he had a better personality and wasn't so playful, he could have become the Tsuchikage's husband even if he couldn't be Tsuchikage himself. Unfortunately, he was swayed by the Akatsuki Organization with just a few words. This person's mindset was truly lacking.
Ino felt that if she had transmigrated into Deidara, she would have already secured the title of Tsuchikage's successor by now. How could Explosive Clay be more fun than Kurotsuchi? Deidara was truly a child, understanding nothing!
Deidara, whom Ino considered a child, had not yet reached the heights he would three years later, but his overall abilities still steadily surpassed Kurotsuchi's.
Their Taijutsu came from the same school. Kurotsuchi's smooth, long legs repeatedly kicked at Deidara's upper, middle, and lower body.
Deidara, who had joined the Akatsuki, was fast and agile, and his combat awareness was also higher than Kurotsuchi's. While showing a rather twisted smile, he used his arms to block kicks from various angles.
"Lava Release: Ash Stone Seal Jutsu!" Kurotsuchi quickly formed hand signs, then spewed out a large amount of black liquid resembling concrete.
Ino couldn't help but take a second look.
The posture this granddaughter of the Tsuchikage used for Ninjutsu was different from the mainstream. Ino, the Second Hokage, the Third Hokage, and Asuma, when using such spewing Ninjutsu, would take a deep breath, gather Chakra in their mouths, and then expel it.
Kurotsuchi seemed to gather it between her chest and abdomen, then spread her legs, bent at the waist, and lifted her hips, expelling it in a rather undignified posture.
"What a strange posture... Does this Lava Release have to be used like this?" Ino felt the level of embarrassment was a bit high.
Kurotsuchi fought fiercely, but the difference in strength was still quite significant.
Deidara, being a show-off, also launched a barrage of attacks. After more than twenty exchanges, Kurotsuchi was covered in wounds. Seeing an opportunity, Ino's spirit body rushed to the side of the battlefield, then lunged forward.
"Don't bother me anymore, you commoners, you don't understand my art at all!" Facing the girl he had grown up with, Deidara ultimately didn't kill her. At this moment, Kurotsuchi was kneeling on the ground, blood flowing from the corner of her mouth, while he only had some damage to his clothes.
He summoned the clay giant bird that had been circling in the sky, stepped onto it, and prepared to leave.
Suddenly, Kurotsuchi shouted, "Stop!"
Deidara frowned, looked back, his expression somewhat displeased.
Kurotsuchi's voice was a bit hoarse, and her tone was different from usual. She said, "Leave behind the Secret Technique scroll for Explosive Clay! That doesn't belong to you; it's the Village's property!"
Deidara was a little puzzled: "Didn't the old man have a backup?"
He muttered to himself, then nervously scratched his head: "Elegant art truly isn't something ordinary people like you can master. It's understandable that you don't value it enough. Alright!"
He took a scroll from his Ninja tool pouch and threw it to Kurotsuchi from a distance: "Here's the original back to you! Don't lose it again! Hmph—!"
He raised his head, seemingly bidding farewell to his past self, then the clay giant bird flapped its wings, soared into the sky, and quickly disappeared.
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