The strange whirlpool-masked man, seeing this, gave off an aura of sorrow, "So Deidara-senpai really doesn't remember me. Well, that's only natural, I'm just an Akatsuki intern, while Deidara-senpai is a formal member of the organization."
"Wah! Wah! Wah! Wah! Wah!"
After saying that, the masked man covered his face and began to cry bitterly. Deidara could even see tears splashing out around the masked man.
At this point, young Deidara didn't understand how abnormal this scene was. A person wearing a mask, covering his face, how could he possibly still cry outwardly, with tears that big?
It didn't look like ordinary crying at all, but more like the special effects made in movies to simulate crying.
But movie effects can be produced with editing; in real life, what on earth could produce this scene?
Fortunately, Deidara didn't know, otherwise he might have been frightened to death.
All he truly felt was that this odd uncle was very sad, and inexplicably he couldn't help saying, "Okay, okay, I don't know what you're talking about. At worst, you can play with my animals."
Having said that, Deidara, like someone comforting a child, handed the mud figure he'd just shaped, a little bird-like creature, to the strange man.
The stranger, upon seeing it, was overjoyed beyond words, "Deidara-senpai, I'm so moved."
Then he took the clay bird, danced about with it in his hands, and the accompanying "crying" special-effect persisted.
Deidara cocked his head, puzzled by the scene; he couldn't tell whether the strange man was happy or sad, until… the man suddenly stopped, cupped the bird carefully in his hand, and opened his palm.
"Deidara-senpai, would you like to see me do a magic trick for you?"
"For example, make this little bird fly?"
Deidara's small eyes widened into two round saucers, "You can really do that?"
The man said, "Of course I can. Don't believe me? Watch!"
Then, the little bird he held really began to move, flapping its wings made of mud, flapping and fluttering as it slowly took to the air.
Deidara was stunned by the sight.
But that wasn't all. After the bird rose, it didn't fly very fast at first, but the faster it flew, the faster it got, and before long it was up in the high sky.
Deidara couldn't help but look up, his eyes full of longing. He wanted, like that free bird, to soar through the sky.
However… something still seemed missing.
What was missing was that instant of flame, the huge explosion. The unparalleled impact. That irresistible art.
A faint trace of disappointment appeared in Deidara's eyes.
Unfortunately, that scene was hard to realize.
At that moment, the strange man seemed to read Deidara's thoughts. He suddenly formed a hand seal.
"Ho!", he exclaimed.
The bird that had been flying in the sky suddenly erupted into a dazzling blaze of light.
The light in an instant became a huge pattern that looked like a giant "Patrick Star."
Then—
KABOOM!
A massive explosion, under the daylight, still illuminated the whole sky.
In Deidara's eyes, there was nothing but that flash of fire; he didn't notice at all why such a terrifying explosion hadn't affected any of the buildings below in Iwagakure.
Only countless ninja, disturbed by this sudden blast, hurried toward the explosion's location. Even the Tsuchikage Onoki couldn't sit still; he flew out from his office.
Seeing the enormous explosion, Deidara murmured, "This is art."
Then, curiously, he grabbed the Akatsuki cloak the strange man wore, "How did you do it?"
"Can you teach me?"
But the man said, "Sorry, Deidara-senpai. Although it looks very similar, it's only in appearance, actually, it's completely different."
"I can't teach you."
Disappointment flashed in Deidara's eyes. What a pity, such a huge explosion, such unrivaled art, and he couldn't realize it with his own hands.
However, at that moment the man looked toward the distance, "Although I can't teach you, the person who can teach you will arrive soon. Follow him and learn properly. One day, when I come to take you home, you'll see even bigger explosions."
Deidara didn't understand many of the man's words, but he understood that final sentence.
His eyes lit up, "Really?"
The man said, "Deidara-senpai, this is a promise between us. But right now, trouble's come up, I have to go handle it."
No sooner had he finished speaking than a group of Iwagakure shinobi had already arrived and surrounded the strange man.
And in the sky above, Onoki was floating down.
Onoki looked at the red-cloud black cloak before him with a hint of apprehension, "Tobi of the Akatsuki?"
"You never show your true face, wearing that whirlpool mask, very mysterious."
"Tobi, was that blast just now your doing? You appear here in Iwagakure like a phantom and pull such a huge prank on me. Don't you think that's a bit too much?"
Tobi faced the Iwa-nin, who seemed ready to take action, and simply spread his hands, "The commotion was indeed a bit big, but haven't you noticed, the explosion was beautiful, yet didn't hurt anyone?"
"Just as the Tsuchikage said, it was only a prank."
Onoki said cautiously, "You still haven't told me the purpose of your visit to Iwagakure."
A soft laugh came from beneath Tobi's mask, "Tsuchikage, do you remember what you said at a previous Five Kage meeting?"
"You said Akatsuki wasn't recruiting any members from Iwagakure. Were you looking down on us?"
"Well, I came to show you I do value you."
Onoki's expression changed. Akatsuki actually came to poach from him, how could he allow such a thing.
He immediately demanded, "Who are you recruiting?"
"I'll tell you. Don't think that because you're part of Akatsuki we're afraid of you. Uchiha Madara himself said, his days are numbered."
Tobi pointed at the still-blank-faced Deidara, "The one I'm recruiting is him."
As a result, the surrounding Iwa-nin, and Onoki himself, were all left utterly baffled.
Onoki blurted, "A child not yet two years old, sir, are you serious?"
Tobi said, "Of course I'm serious. I wonder if the Tsuchikage agrees or not."
Onoki cleared his throat. If Akatsuki were trying to recruit some mighty warrior from Iwagakure, he certainly would not agree.
But if it was only a little boy… that didn't seem like something to refuse.
Still, is that really Akatsuki's purpose? If one told Uchiha Madara himself about this, would Madara believe it?
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