Konan and Tendo entered the Akatsuki's main hall, only to find Deidara standing there, his face blackened with soot, his expression dazed as he stared at his own hands with a deep frown.
"Deidara, what are you doing?" Konan snapped. Her eyes swept over the massive crater blown into the floor, and her heart ached at the sight—how much money was this going to cost?
Deidara shook his head. "I don't know either. For some reason, the explosive clay didn't respond to my control this time. This has never happened to me before."
"Hm?" Sasori glanced at him. Although he didn't agree with Deidara's artistic philosophy, Deidara was the only other person who pursued 'art' in the same obsessive way.
If Deidara was losing control over his explosive clay, that was no small issue.
Konan immediately stepped forward and placed a hand on Deidara's arm, frowning. "There's nothing wrong with your body. How could this happen?"
Deidara said nothing. An inexplicable emptiness welled up inside him, and he lowered his head, his mood sinking.
Tendo watched quietly before speaking slowly. "Are you homesick?"
Deidara froze for a moment, then shook his head. "There's nothing in Iwagakure worth missing. If there is… it's just the old man and that little girl, Kurotsuchi."
"But once I chose to defect, there was no turning back." He let out a quiet sigh.
If the old man hadn't pushed him so hard back then, insisting that he master Dust Release, he might still be a jōnin of Iwagakure now.
Tendo remained silent for a moment, then walked up and patted Deidara on the shoulder. "Once we achieve our shared goal, there will be a chance to see them again."
Deidara nodded. He turned and left the main hall, heading for his private training ground to continue researching Explosion Release techniques.
Tendo suddenly turned to Sasori. "I heard you caused quite a stir on this mission."
"Hm." Sasori nodded without looking up, continuing to repair his puppets. Nearly one-fifth of his Red Secret Technique: Performance of a Hundred Puppets had been destroyed while saving Chiyo last time.
He had been rushing nonstop to replace the damaged puppets.
Tendo fell silent, shook his head, and walked deeper into the base. As for the ruined floor, he chose to summon Kakuzu.
After hearing the full story, Kakuzu's face went pale. His bead-like eyes trembled visibly. "Leader, let me say this first—it's not that I'm unwilling to spend money. I just don't think it's worth spending money on a floor!"
"Enough. Just pay for it," Tendo said, rubbing his temples. He had no desire to argue with Kakuzu. When it came to money, Kakuzu could debate for an entire day over ten thousand ryō.
Kakuzu glared at Tendo resentfully, cursing inwardly. He clearly didn't understand how hard it was to manage expenses or how costly daily necessities were. That single section of flooring alone would cost at least one hundred thousand ryō.
One hundred thousand ryō might not seem like much, but add up a hundred thousand here and a hundred thousand there, and it would all be gone sooner or later.
Still, since the leader had spoken, he had no choice. Kakuzu dragged over a craftsman and purchased the cheapest materials available.
Intimidated by Kakuzu's presence, the craftsman didn't dare refuse and immediately began the repairs.
Kakuzu was secretly delighted. This way, he could even save on labor costs.
Konan watched from the side, the corner of her mouth twitching. After all these years, Kakuzu was still this stingy. The Akatsuki had earned at least a billion ryō from black market bounties—was it really necessary to lose all dignity over a mere one hundred thousand?
If Kakuzu knew what she was thinking, he would shout without hesitation:
"It absolutely is! Extremely necessary!"
---
Konoha Village
Preparations for the Fifth Hokage's inauguration ceremony were underway, and the entire village buzzed with excitement.
Meanwhile, Uchiha Ran headed toward the Hyūga Clan Compound. When the guards at the gate saw it was him, they naturally didn't dare to stop him.
One went to inform Hyūga Hiashi, while the other escorted Uchiha Ran as they walked through the compound.
Suddenly, the sound of combat reached their ears. Uchiha Ran turned toward it with interest and saw Hyūga Hinata and Hyūga Neji exchanging blows.
Neji instructed her as they fought. "Your footwork must be stable, your strikes precise. There must be softness in the fist and firmness in the palm. Gentle Fist emphasizes softness, but hardness is indispensable. You must grasp the balance between the two."
If this were the Neji of the past, he would never have shared his insights so openly. But now was different. Freed from the shackles of the Caged Bird Seal, he had gained true freedom.
The gloom that once filled his heart had been dispelled, replaced by patience and clarity. More importantly, Neji could clearly feel Hinata's strength steadily closing the gap with his own.
It made him realize that her talent was no less than his.
Uchiha Ran smiled. "Good. This is how siblings should be during daily training."
Hearing his voice, Neji and Hinata stopped and looked over.
When they saw it was Uchiha Ran, joy lit up their faces. They immediately ended the spar and ran toward him.
Hinata opened her arms without hesitation, asking for a hug. Uchiha Ran crouched down and lifted her up. She smiled brightly and pressed her soft cheek against his.
The corners of Uchiha Ran's mouth curved upward. Neji smiled as well.
So… Hinata likes him.
Very well. As her brother, he would protect this bond.
"Neji, Hinata, Ran, what are you all—" Hiashi's voice abruptly cut off.
Seeing his daughter clinging affectionately to Uchiha Ran felt like a lightning strike to his soul.
His eyes rolled back, and he nearly fainted on the spot, only to be caught by a guard. "Clan Head! Clan Head! Please don't scare me!"
"Quick! Someone come—Clan Head Hiashi has collapsed!"
Hinata's face filled with worry as she looked at Uchiha Ran. He nodded, gently set her down, and walked over to check on Hiashi.
After feeling his pulse, he let out a breath of relief. "It's nothing serious. Clan Head Hiashi just hasn't been resting well." He reached out and pinched Hiashi's philtrum.
Hiashi soon regained consciousness.
He had just had a nightmare—one where his daughter threw herself into Uchiha Ran's arms. It was utterly terrifying.
"I… I must have dozed off. My apologies…" As he sat up, he saw Uchiha Ran crouched in front of him—and Hinata holding a cup of tea, offering it to Ran.
Ran accepted it and gently patted Hinata's head.
Hinata lowered her gaze, her cheeks flushed red, steam practically rising from her head.
Hiashi nearly fainted again.
At that moment, Uchiha Ran spoke calmly. "Hiruzen Sarutobi and his faction still haven't given up. They're continuing to stir up trouble. If you faint again, I won't bother coming to you next time."
Those words snapped Hiashi fully awake.
He straightened instantly and looked at Uchiha Ran with a serious expression. "Ran, just tell me what the Hyūga Clan should do. We'll follow your lead."
------
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