"What is that Deidara guy thinking? He won't learn the ultimate art of Dust Release, but he spends all day messing around with exploding clay."
"A single Lightning Release jutsu from me would render all his clay duds."
"Exactly. His clay is useless against Lightning Release."
"True art should be without limits."
"Like Dust Release. Everyone knows Ōnoki can use it, but no one can counter it."
"That brilliant white light from Dust Release is truly dazzling."
"What's the use? How many more years does that old Tsuchikage have? Once he's gone, that art will be lost forever."
"If it weren't for getting Deidara back, the Clan Head would have been in real danger…"
Listening to the surrounding chatter about him, Deidara, for once, did not argue or struggle. He thought about how his explosions couldn't even scratch a Susanoo, and how his other clay bombs were completely neutralized by Lightning Release, unable to detonate and showcase his art at all.
He recalled Ōnoki floating in the air, releasing one Dust Release after another, a magnificent light that tore across the heavens. He remembered Kawasaki telling him on the way back that he had witnessed an even more brilliant art—one that required no clay bombs and feared no Lightning Release.
Wasn't that Dust Release?
Kawasaki hadn't been lying.
No wonder the old geezer always looked down on my art…
The spies positioned along the Shikoku Road, though driven far away and unable to see the details, could still clearly make out the shimmering golden Susanoo and the sky-rending Dust Release against the backdrop of the night.
Everyone understood: Uchiha Kawasaki and Ōnoki had clashed.
Although Kawasaki had made few moves, the color of his Susanoo had begun to spread through the rumor mill. As for the pillar of white light, it was a one-of-a-kind technique famous throughout the shinobi world. Thus, everyone knew the identities of the two combatants.
Both Dust Release and the Susanoo represented the pinnacle of power in the shinobi world. The intelligence value of their confrontation was immense. Unfortunately, with both Iwagakure and the Uchiha keeping their lips sealed, the spies could only observe from a distance.
The duel between Kawasaki and Ōnoki did not last long. Judging by the massive cube that ultimately destroyed the Susanoo, it appeared Ōnoki had emerged victorious. What was baffling, however, was that the Hidden Stone and the Uchiha clan did not subsequently engage in all-out war. Instead, both sides stood their ground, as if the preceding fight had been nothing more than a friendly exhibition.
The result was that the Hidden Stone forces retreated back within their border, while the Uchiha clan stationed themselves on the Land of Fire's side of the boundary.
…
"Lord Tsuchikage, Deidara has been returned to you. Please withdraw your forces as agreed," said the Uchiha's Third Elder, Takuya.
"Rest assured. I am a man of my word," Ōnoki replied, hands clasped behind his back as he concluded the negotiations. It was said that the Uchiha Clan Head had suffered from chakra exhaustion and was "recovering," which was why the Third Elder had stepped forward.
The Uchiha brought out the bound Deidara. The usually boisterous youth was exceptionally silent today, not uttering a single word. Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi happily went forward to receive him, leading him into the Hidden Stone ranks and untying his restraints.
"We're moving out!" Ōnoki commanded, leading the Iwagakure shinobi back into their own country.
Within the procession, Kurotsuchi whispered to Deidara, "Big Bro Deidara, Grandpa gave up a chance to ambush the Hidden Cloud just to get you back. Don't make him angry again."
"Hmph." Deidara snorted and turned his head away.
The Hidden Stone shinobi surrounded Deidara, concealing his identity as part of the deal. They moved swiftly, retreating into the Land of Earth within a few hours and arriving at a border outpost.
Ōnoki led everyone to rest.
Deidara was brought to Ōnoki's room. He felt a little uneasy, knowing a lecture was coming. He expected to be scolded, but he never imagined Ōnoki's opening words.
"The art you take such pride in was countered by an ordinary Uchiha clansman. What a disgrace."
"You old geezer! You're belittling my art again! Hmph!" Deidara was already in a foul mood after his repeated setbacks at the hands of the Uchiha, and now he had to endure Ōnoki looking down on him.
"Utterly ridiculous. Your art can't even break a Susanoo, yet you have the gall to call it art!" Ōnoki's words had changed, but his tone remained the same.
Deidara didn't notice anything unusual, merely grunting stubbornly, "If I had enough clay, I could definitely destroy that Susanoo! Hmph!"
"It's weak to Lightning Release, and you're always worried about not having enough clay. Is that what you call art?" Ōnoki berated.
He spread his hands, and a white light flared in his palms, instantly expanding into a cube. The intense light pulsed with a terrifying destructive power. With a gentle wave from Ōnoki, anything touched by the light disintegrated into molecules. The tables, chairs, and weapon racks in the room were all wiped from existence.
"This is true art!"
Under Ōnoki's control, the Dust Release flickered effortlessly, destroying everything in the room before shrinking back into his hands.
Deidara was furious, but he had to admit that the power of Dust Release far surpassed his clay bombs.
"Oof…" Ōnoki suddenly grunted, clutching his lower back.
Deidara gloated, "What's wrong, old man? Your back giving out on you? How are you supposed to show off your art like that!"
Ōnoki had genuinely thrown out his back. It took him a long moment to catch his breath. "If you weren't the only one who could learn this ultimate art, why would I have bothered to rescue you?"
Deidara stared in astonishment, pointing at himself. "You rescued me just to teach me Dust Release, hm!?"
"I'm seventy-three years old! How much longer do I have to live?" Ōnoki snapped. "Am I supposed to let this art die with me?"
"I had planned to teach you Dust Release once you were a bit older, but you insisted on researching your clay bombs and then ran away from the village."
"You even joined the Akatsuki! If you had died, who would have inherited this ultimate art!?"
Deidara swallowed hard. He recalled how Ōnoki would always berate him and scoff at his art whenever he was engrossed in his clay bomb research. He had never imagined that the old man actually wanted to pass on the ultimate technique of Dust Release to him.
Ōnoki watched the shifting expressions on Deidara's face, his mind replaying the key points Kawasaki had emphasized.
"Or do you think the beauty of Dust Release is inferior to your clay explosion art?"
Deidara's face contorted. Too proud to admit his clay bombs were inferior to Dust Release, he remained silent.
"To the training grounds! I will show you what true art is!" With that, Ōnoki's figure flickered and floated away.
"Hmph!" Deidara snorted and followed close behind.
Meanwhile, in Konohagakure.
The Third Hokage hadn't been sleeping well lately. To be precise, he hadn't had a single peaceful night's sleep since Uchiha Kawasaki became clan head. As a result, he was always cooped up in the Hokage's Office, working late into the night, day after day.
After officially notifying Iwagakure that they would be granted small-scale passage, the Third Hokage had also leaked information through other channels, claiming that Iwagakure was joining forces with Konoha to fight the Uchiha clan.
Konoha's spies were already lying in wait at the Shikoku Road, ready to send back firsthand intelligence at a moment's notice.
The gambit of showing his hand had worked. The Uchiha clansmen who had been in hiding were soon discovered at the border of the Land of Fire, and they eventually approached the Shikoku Road.