The Happiness of Deidara in Naruto

Chapter 27: The Failure to Open the Explosive Release

After bidding farewell to the Tsuchikage and the others, Deidara returned home. The emotions he had expressed earlier were genuine, as he found himself reminiscing about his late father upon seeing the scroll.

The call from his bloodline made Deidara more certain that the abilities of "Deidara" in the manga were inherited from his family, rather than being a result of some fortuitous encounter as he had previously thought.

Indeed, all his waiting had paid off. Acquiring this explosive release had obvious drawbacks, but it would undoubtedly enhance his strength significantly.

Moreover, any shortcomings could be overcome! If they couldn't be overcome, this ability could still be used as a regular technique—defeating ordinary Jonin would be a piece of cake!

However, Deidara was soon dealt a heavy blow; he simply couldn't open the scroll!

He didn't panic. He carefully recalled the memories of his father and searched for any advice his father might have given him about the scroll.

Unfortunately, he found no clues. Still, Deidara maintained an optimistic outlook. Perhaps he had mentioned it to the Tsuchikage, and then the old man Onoki just forgot to tell him.

So, he hurriedly made his way to Onoki's residence. "Teacher, I can't open the scroll. Is there some kind of seal to unlock it?"

"Stop shouting! What kind of manner is that?" Onoki scolded him first. After some thought, he said, "No, your father only entrusted that scroll to me for safekeeping."

"Alright! Thank you! I'll be heading back." Deidara could only shake his head in frustration. When he returned home, he felt too upset to even eat.

The explosive release that he had dreamed of acquiring was stalled by the inability to open a scroll. The sudden drop in emotions left him quite distressed.

Perhaps there was nothing more than a family history in that scroll, without any valuable information! Yes, that must be it!

Deidara had to comfort himself this way.

Feeling out of sorts, he couldn't even manage to sculpt clay, let alone train. So, he skipped dinner and collapsed onto his bed, falling into a sleep almost instantly.

He was genuinely exhausted—over the past few days, the mental strain and the battle today had worn him out completely, and soon the gentle sound of his snores filled the room.

Outside Iwagakure, two figures dressed in black cloaks adorned with red clouds and hats appeared, their garments fluttering slightly in the chilly wind.

Iwagakure might unleash rocky rain upon other nations, but it had no such concerns for its own territory.

One of the figures, tall and carrying a massive beheading sword, remarked, "It's dry enough in this Earth Country! It's barely any better than the Wind Country!"

The shorter one didn't respond but said, "Now that we're here, let's hurry inside!"

"Yeah, let's go!" The tall man didn't mind that his companion hadn't picked up on his comment; he simply followed along.

As they neared the gates of Iwagakure, the shorter figure said, "To avoid unnecessary trouble, let's take off our forehead protectors first."

"Ugh, what a hassle!" Tenzo grumbled, removing his hat, revealing a face marked by bar-like tattoos, rough hands sliding his sword aside as he began to remove his forehead protector that indicated he was a rogue ninja from the Rain Village.

Uchiha Itachi, a standout character, would easily be recognized by Deidara if he were there, as Itachi had been an incredibly charismatic figure throughout much of the original and middle arcs of the story.

And that "Deidara" had also met his demise at the hands of his foolish younger brother.

Itachi said nothing, simply removing his hat and forehead protector. His vivid, red, three-tomoe Sharingan flashed, then he stored the protector away and put his hat back on.

"Who are you?!" The guard at the gate immediately tensed up. Anyone wrapped up that tightly usually had something to hide.

Especially with the tall figure bearing such a large sword, suspicion only deepened. Nevertheless, the Iwagakure guard felt secure, knowing they were within their own village and assumed the intruders wouldn't dare to act recklessly.

"What business do you have in Iwagakure?" The guard, having calmed down, questioned as usual.

Itachi didn't respond but produced a scroll from his cloak and handed it to the guard, waiting quietly.

The guard opened the scroll and his expression changed drastically. He said to Itachi and Tenzo, "Please wait a moment while I report this!"

Itachi nodded, while Tenzo, appearing a bit anxious, asked when the guard was out of earshot. "Why didn't you just use genjutsu to get in?"

Itachi glanced at Tenzo and replied, "We're here to accept a mission, not to fight. Besides, it's a bit difficult for the two of us to take on Iwagakure."

Before long, the guard returned, accompanied by another ninja. "Hello, you two. You're the ones sent by the Akatsuki to take the commission, right? We welcome you—please follow me. The Tsuchikage is waiting for you."

Iwagakure had collaborated with the Akatsuki during the Third Shinobi World War. Back then, they treated Akatsuki like any ordinary cannon fodder, not expecting them to grow larger and the members to become increasingly powerful.

The Tsuchikage, Onoki, had grown cautious of Akatsuki but didn't take much notice, merely keeping an eye on them.

For instance, this time around, if someone from his village were to take on the mission, it would not only risk failure but also bring shame to the village. Therefore, Onoki naturally thought of Akatsuki as a high-grade piece of expendable help.

It might be pricier, but it was worth it.

Onoki only met them once to hand over the mission and discuss the rewards before departing. Their prior agreement ensured everything ran smoothly without betrayal or black dealings.

Deidara left his house, having woken up hungry. He immediately headed to the ramen shop, as only the plentiful and delicious dishes from the two-leaf ramen could satisfy his current hunger.

Upon entering the shop, he discovered his usual seat was taken. One of the patrons was someone he recognized, although that person didn't know him.

Uchiha Itachi, the supposed rival who had fallen to his brother's hand.

PS: Deidara: What can I do? I'm just as desperate!