NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 82: CHAPTER 82
"Sister, are you leaving already?"
Hanabi held Hinata's hand, a rare trace of reluctance in her usually composed demeanor.
In the past, under Hiashi's influence, Hanabi had once looked down on her older sister, whom she saw as too gentle and unfit to lead the Hyuga Clan. But ever since traveling with Kimimaro, she had stopped caring about the rigid hierarchy of the clan. Her feelings for Hinata had shifted from condescension to genuine affection.
"We're on a mission. Once it's complete, I'll come back to visit," Hinata said with a soft smile, squeezing her sister's hand gently.
The Konoha team had only stayed in the Land of Vegetables for a day before preparing to leave. Nearby, Karin and Ino whispered and giggled together. Strangely, the two had become fast friends after just one day—perhaps bonding over their shared medical training and lively personalities.
Neji cleared his throat, and Tenten called out, "Hinata, Ino, time to head out!"
As their host, Kimimaro personally saw them off outside the city gates.
"Kimimaro, are you planning to establish a shinobi village here someday?" Neji asked suddenly.
Kimimaro offered a calm smile. "That's still far off. The Land of Vegetables needs stability first. A village requires more than just strength—it needs order, trust, and people."
Neji nodded in silent acknowledgment.
But then Kimimaro suddenly froze, his expression darkening.
"What's wrong?" Neji asked, following his gaze.
Two figures had appeared down the path—cloaked in black with red clouds, wide straw hats casting shadows over their faces. One of them moved in a low, almost mechanical crouch.
"…Akatsuki?" Neji murmured.
Kimimaro narrowed his eyes. "Yes. I recognize the cloaks."
The hunched figure was likely Sasori of the Red Sand, concealed in his Hiruko puppet. As for the other, with his golden hair partially obscuring one eye, Kimimaro recognized him instantly—Deidara.
A surge of emotion ran through Kimimaro. He remembered something Kurotsuchi once told him: when she was younger, she had an older brother-like figure in Iwagakure who made toys out of clay and played with her often. She even said she once dreamed of marrying him. That boy was Deidara.
But by age nine, Deidara had already begun experimenting with explosive ninjutsu and was deemed a dangerous nuisance by Iwa's elders. Tsuchikage Ōnoki eventually exiled him from the village, and later, he defected after being recruited by Itachi Uchiha.
Kimimaro had felt lucky. After Deidara left, Kurotsuchi grew lonely, but that emptiness gave Kimimaro a chance to grow close to her. Whatever affection she had held for Deidara was the naive fantasy of a child—and long since buried.
In the canon, even when Kurotsuchi heard Sasuke had killed Deidara, she showed little hatred. To her, Deidara had been a mischievous senior, not a romantic interest.
"Grandpa Sasori, seems we've got a few brats tailing us," Deidara said casually, not even glancing back.
"I noticed," Sasori replied from within Hiruko's shell. "We're just passing through. Don't waste chakra unless you must."
"Tch, boring. I just wanted to see their faces."
Then, without warning, Deidara stopped and turned. His one visible eye locked with Kimimaro's.
A heartbeat later, he vanished—and reappeared directly in front of them.
Kimimaro's instincts screamed.
He jumped back instantly, and Deidara grinned, holding two clay birds in his palms. The birds launched into the air—straight toward the group.
"Scatter!" Kimimaro roared.
The explosion was deafening.
Kimimaro and Neji had been watching the Akatsuki duo carefully, so they moved quickly. But the three girls were caught off guard. Only after Kimimaro's shout did they instinctively leap back.
Realizing this, Neji grabbed Tenten, yanking her to safety. Kimimaro dashed forward, scooping up Ino and Hinata, one in each arm, and carried them out of the blast zone in a blur of motion.
Cough. Cough.
"Th-thank you…" Hinata gasped.
Ino looked up at Kimimaro, cheeks flushed. "That was… wow…"
But Kimimaro didn't have time to respond. His eyes were fixed on Deidara, who stood calmly ahead with his hand in a clay pouch.
"Back up," Kimimaro ordered the girls coldly, stepping protectively in front of them.
The surrounding area was empty—luckily, no civilians were nearby.
Neji stepped beside him.
"Who are you?" Kimimaro demanded. "Why attack without provocation?"
"Oh? Not bad moves," Deidara chuckled. "I just wanted to test you. Judging by your appearance… you're Kimimaro Kaguya, right? Former subordinate of Orochimaru. I also heard you've been spotted with Kurotsuchi from Iwagakure. Both identities make you worth targeting, yeah. No wonder you managed to save little Kurotsuchi—your strength isn't bad."
"Orochimaru's old pawn, is it? You've got a decent memory," Kimimaro responded coldly.
Deidara smirked. "Of course. Who else besides me would know stuff about Iwa's inner workings?"
Despite being a rogue ninja, Deidara's relationship with Iwagakure was complex. He had once been the personal student of the current Tsuchikage, Ōnoki. Though he left after clashing with the village's ideals—especially after his explosion-centric philosophy was rejected—Iwagakure never issued a full-scale pursuit. He wasn't viewed as an enemy like other defectors. In turn, Deidara bore no deep hatred toward the village and still kept tabs on it out of lingering pride and curiosity.
"Deidara… you're Kurotsuchi's senior then? In that case—"
Before Kimimaro could finish, he sensed danger—a steel, segmented tail lashed out from behind Sasori.
Without hesitation, he grabbed Hinata and Ino and leapt clear of the strike.
"Kimimaro, you don't need to protect us," Hinata called out. "We can move on our own!"
"Be careful. That tail's coated in poison," he warned, setting them down quickly.
"Heh… you know quite a bit," Sasori sneered. "Orochimaru must've trained you well."
"Relax, relax!" Deidara cut in with a grin, seeing Sasori's aggression. "He's not with Orochimaru anymore. Just give the brat a good scare for my sake, yeah? Don't kill him."
Kimimaro narrowed his eyes. "Orochimaru once considered me a vessel for his immortality technique. He had no reason not to cultivate me to the fullest. But I ask again—why did you attack me?"
Sasori's cold voice followed. "A warning. Don't speak our names so casually. Do it again, and you and these Konoha genin die here."
"Hahaha, don't mind him," Deidara waved it off, but his tone held a faint edge. "My partner has his… quirks. Better listen to him."
"I know," Kimimaro muttered. "Artists are eccentric."
Despite his composed exterior, Kimimaro didn't intend to fight them head-on. Two Akatsuki members—both confirmed to be Kage-level threats—were too dangerous to confront directly, especially here. Deidara's bombs could level buildings if he felt like showing off. And Sasori… if he brought out the Third Kazekage puppet or activated his Red Secret Technique: Performance of a Hundred Puppets, the entire Land of Vegetables could be reduced to ashes.
The Akatsuki's reputation wasn't exaggerated—they weren't just strong. They were catastrophic.
Visit patreon.com/ShiroTL to gain access to 40+ chapters