The Strongest Artist in Naruto

Buzz!

The forest was alive with the sound of insects' wings. Black and white swarms clashed, waging a microscopic but brutal war.

Tiny black and white specks constantly fell from the sky, quickly carpeting the ground in a thin layer.

"Don't you care about your bugs?"

"My bugs are endless," Aburame Chihisa replied. Each of his parasitic insects could handle dozens of clay bugs, but sheer numbers overwhelmed them.

Sweat dripped down Chihisa's brow. His opponent's strength was staggering. This... this was a Kage-level powerhouse? They hadn't even used their explosive specialty yet, but their casual assault had already left him beaten.

But don't underestimate the Aburame Clan!

The distress signal had been sent. Reinforcements should arrive soon, right?

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Kunai rained from the shadows, their targets the mother nests of the parasitic insects. Explosive tags trailed behind each kunai. Though the Aburame Clan specialized in insect-based combat, they still knew their way around traditional ninja tools.

"Tch! Are you trying to compete with me in art?"

"You're defiling the very concept with such crude attempts," Deidara scoffed.

Since the other side had made the first move, Deidara felt no need to hold back. Honestly, this level of opponent barely warranted his interest.

"C2—Combat Swarm!"

From Deidara's hands swarmed a cloud of wasps, surging toward the approaching Aburame reinforcements. Meanwhile, the clay insects in the sky detonated in rapid succession, quickly obliterating Chihisa's parasitic bugs.

"Try my toxic fume bugs!" one of the Aburame ninja shouted, releasing a swarm of deep green insects. They spewed poisonous gas from their tails, blanketing the battlefield.

"Pointless!" Deidara sneered. "The blast waves from my explosions will scatter your poison with ease!"

A series of detonations followed, dispersing the toxic cloud and wiping out the green bugs.

"Then try my blast bugs!" Another Aburame ninja unleashed bright red insects, their bodies glowing with magma-like veins as they flew toward Deidara.

"You dare show such clumsy 'explosive art' before me? Now I'm really annoyed."

Slamming his palms to the ground, Deidara sent countless clay centipedes burrowing into the earth. Chain explosions erupted moments later, overwhelming the Aburame ninjas in a heartbeat.

"Enough. We'll give you the Aburame Clan's secret insect control technique," said Aburame Shiwei, rising to his feet. His stoic face betrayed a trace of bitterness. The clan's prized secret, passed down for generations, was now being handed over to an enemy.

Deidara took the scroll and gave it a cursory glance. Once the system confirmed the acquisition, he nodded in satisfaction.

"I won't take this for free. Someday, I'll repay you," he said.

"There's no need for jokes, sir," Shiwei replied coldly. "You're an enemy of Konoha. We won't have any dealings with you in the future."

Deidara chuckled but didn't respond.

I may be Konoha's enemy now, but you won't necessarily stay loyal to Konoha forever.

These clan ninjas were prime targets for his schemes. Of course, all of this hinged on Danzo stirring up enough chaos. Without Danzo making enemies left and right, digging out Konoha's roots would be far more challenging.

Deidara turned to leave. "I'll leave this woman to you," he said casually, striding away.

This time, he had almost nothing to do with the Konoha Crush plan, which left him with far too much free time. He pondered his next move. Konoha did have some interesting treasures, after all—like the Scroll of Seals. That technique, the Multiple Explosive Tags, seemed perfect for Konan. She always wasted so many tags in battle. Poor Kakuzu's hard-earned money!

And don't forget Flying Thunder God and Edo Tensei, Deidara mused. Those were legendary techniques in their own right.

As he wandered through Konoha, Deidara unexpectedly encountered someone near the hospital.

"Yakushi Kabuto? Aren't you one of Orochimaru's men?"

"Yes, Seiryu-sama," Kabuto replied, flashing his trademark smile and adjusting his glasses with a finger.

"Orochimaru even told you our codenames? He must value you greatly," Deidara noted.

"It's nothing like that. I simply serve Orochimaru-sama as best I can," Kabuto replied humbly.

Kabuto was a complex individual—so complex that even he didn't fully understand himself. Deidara, despite having read the original story, still found him difficult to grasp.

"By the way, do you know where Konoha keeps the Scroll of Seals?" Deidara asked. He doubted something so important would just be lying around the Hokage's office, no matter how well-guarded it was.

"You're interested in the Scroll of Seals, Seiryu-sama?" Kabuto's glasses glinted as he explained, "It's kept in an extremely secure location, along with other classified research and intelligence. That area is protected by multiple barrier squads, layered seals, and ANBU guards, including members of Root.

"Infiltrating it would be incredibly difficult."

Deidara raised an eyebrow. "That well-guarded, huh?"

"Of course. The value of those secrets rivals that of a Kage. In times of crisis, security only increases," Kabuto elaborated.

Deidara nodded thoughtfully. Makes sense. Techniques like Edo Tensei or Flying Thunder God alone can elevate someone to Kage level.

"And then there's the research—Hashirama's cells, the Sharingan studies... These are irreplaceable assets. Unless Konoha faces total destruction, their defenses will never weaken," Kabuto concluded.

"Why didn't I think of this earlier? Orochimaru must have seen the complete Scroll of Seals when he was still in Konoha," Deidara muttered.

"If you want to learn techniques from the Scroll of Seals, Orochimaru-sama can help," Kabuto suggested with a polite smile.

Deidara stared at him. "You couldn't have mentioned that sooner?"

"My apologies, Seiryu-sama. That was careless of me," Kabuto said, bowing slightly.

Seeing the future mastermind so deferential was oddly satisfying.

"So, what mission are you on right now?" Deidara asked, curious.

"It's no secret. Orochimaru-sama tasked me with stealing Konoha Hospital's data during the chaos. It's crucial for his research."

"Orochimaru even cares about mundane hospital records?" Deidara mused.

"Data is never too much," Kabuto replied matter-of-factly.

Heh. Orochimaru really is a researcher at heart. While most people would snatch treasures or Kekkei Genkai, here he was collecting data.

"In that case, I'll tag along. I'm bored anyway," Deidara said.

"With your assistance, Seiryu-sama, the mission will undoubtedly succeed," Kabuto replied smoothly.

As the two made their way toward Konoha Hospital, neither noticed a white swirl emerging from the shadows.

"Ugh, why do I always get the annoying jobs? I still need to figure out how to poop upside-down…" muttered a certain Zetsu.

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Pls Drop some Power Stones

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