The Strongest Artist in Naruto

"With just that skill? You can't kill me." Deidara didn't even bother reverting to his original form. Holding a kunai in hand was an unusual sight for him—after all, he hardly ever used such mundane tools in battle.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Anko exchanged blows with Deidara using taijutsu, her attacks swift and precise. Yet, she quickly realized it was going nowhere. Pulling back slightly, she formed a series of hand seals. From her mouth, she unleashed flat, disk-shaped flames that shot toward her opponent like projectiles.

"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"

"Is that it? Still holding back because of those 70,000 ryo from last night?"

"Shut up, you bastard!" Anko's cheeks flushed red, a mix of embarrassment and anger.

As much as she hated to admit it, she knew she'd have to use her nastiest techniques. The thought of summoning those slimy creatures disgusted her, but her opponent wasn't ordinary—she had no other choice.

"Fire Release: Dragon Flame Technique!"

A searing stream of fire surged toward Deidara in a straight line. He swiftly dodged, but it was only a feint. Anko's real attack followed immediately. From her sleeve, a swarm of dark green snakes slithered out, their mouths open wide to reveal venomous fangs.

"This time, there's no escape! Surrender now!"

Anko shouted with confidence. Deidara seemed to be caught in a moment of vulnerability—his momentum had slowed, and his defenses were down. Unless he had exceptional skill in taijutsu, there was no way to evade this attack.

"When you said that, you already lost."

"Let me show you my Clay Serpent Swarm!"

Raising his left hand, Deidara summoned an even greater number of massive white clay serpents. These larger snakes wrapped around and crushed Anko's summoned ones with ease, without even needing to explode.

"Damn it... Why am I... so weak?" Anko fell to her knees, her body paralyzed and trembling as the clay snakes coiled tightly around her.

"I have a friend who's quite skilled with toxins. I borrowed a bit of his handiwork and mixed it into these snakes. The poison only needs to make contact with your skin to paralyze you completely. Not bad, huh?"

Deidara chuckled as he approached her. Naturally, he'd already taken an antidote beforehand—he wasn't about to poison himself. This hybrid creation had been an idea of his for a while, but it took time for his crafting skills to catch up.

Anko struggled to lift her head, glaring at the mysterious man before her.

"What's your relationship with Orochimaru?"

"We're collaborators. We fought once before, so I can mimic some of his techniques."

His casual response surprised Anko. She had assumed he was one of Orochimaru's experiments or minions. Instead, he was a partner—someone on equal footing with her former master. That realization only made him seem even more dangerous.

Hoisting Anko onto his shoulder, Deidara asked, "So, which way to the Aburame Clan's compound?"

"Do you think I'd tell you anything, you invader?" Anko retorted, defiant despite her physical weakness.

"If you don't, I'll have to find someone else, and that could lead to unnecessary casualties. Wouldn't that bother you?"

Anko sighed in frustration. "If that's the case, I might as well take you there myself. The Aburame Clan are shinobi—they might even defeat you quickly."

With a reluctant expression, she finally relented. "It's in the northeastern part of the village, in the forest."

"Good choice," Deidara replied as he sprinted off in the direction she described. "By the way, did you submit an expense claim yet?"

Anko froze. She suddenly realized why he had been so insistent about her filing it before noon today. They weren't legitimate envoys—they were invaders!

"Did you?" Deidara pressed.

"Yes... I submitted it!" she stammered, unnerved as the clay snake's head loomed dangerously close to her face.

"Good," he said with a smirk, pulling back the snake.

The chaos within the village made it surprisingly easy for Deidara to sneak toward the Aburame Clan's territory. As he approached, a figure stepped out from the shadows—a shinobi wearing dark glasses and a high-collared coat that revealed barely any of his face.

"Who goes there?" the man demanded.

The Aburame Clan had already been alerted to Deidara's presence. Many of the seemingly ordinary insects in the forest were actually their scouts, placed strategically for such occasions.

"It's Anko?" The Aburame shinobi recognized the person slung over Deidara's shoulder.

"So, you're the enemy?" He assumed a combat-ready stance.

"Careful, Katsuragi!" Anko warned, her voice strained. "He's strong!"

The Aburame shinobi pushed up his glasses. "Understood. And my name is Aburame Chihisa."

Anko groaned in embarrassment. "Sorry… I'm weak right now and mixed you up with someone else again."

Chihisa shook his head. "No need to apologize. It's a common mistake. Last time, you called me Shibi."

Anko tried to respond, but Chihisa cut her off. "Enough. I'm not here to chat."

"Insects have already infiltrated his body. Watch closely as the Aburame Clan demonstrates our art of bug control!"

As Chihisa finished speaking, Deidara felt a sharp pain within him—hundreds of parasitic insects were devouring him from the inside.

"I've dealt with this trick before," Deidara said, recalling a past encounter with another Aburame.

"But things are different now."

His body began to shift, turning into a soft, white clay-like substance. The clay expelled the insects, pushing them out of his form, before reassembling back into Deidara's usual appearance a few steps away.

"You're with the Akatsuki!" Chihisa exclaimed in alarm.

Deidara grinned. "Correct. But I'm not here to cause a massacre. I just want to learn your clan's secret insect techniques. If you cooperate, this will end peacefully."

"That's impossible!" Chihisa refused.

"Then let's settle this with a bug battle. You control insects—I create them. Let's see whose are superior!"

"C2—Parasitic Insect Hive!"

A massive white clay cocoon, four to five meters tall and ten meters wide, emerged. Its surface was covered with countless small openings. From within, swarms of clay insects poured out, filling the forest in moments.

"This is my artistic tribute to your clan's techniques. Let's see how well you can handle it."

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Pls Drop some Power Stones

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