Mastermind of the Akatsuki

"This..." Kabuto hesitated, unsure whether he should speak.

In front of others, he could keep secrets well, but his resolve wavered when it came to the director.

Seeing his reaction, Nonō refrained from pressing further. Whether Kabuto was a spy infiltrating the orphanage or someone trained there to become one, she was certain their familial bond was genuine.

If her questioning would put Kabuto in a difficult position, she decided it was better not to ask. 

Moreover, after being betrayed by Danzo multiple times, her faith in the Konoha leadership had completely eroded. 

If the Third Hokage was truly as wise and capable as he was reputed to be, could he really be unaware of Danzo's actions? Perhaps he had even tacitly approved of sacrifices being made to maintain stability.

Nonō wasn't afraid of sacrifice. The title of Walking Maiden testified to her contributions to Konoha. 

What she couldn't accept was being betrayed by the village she had served so diligently. Danzo had even issued an order for her and Kabuto to kill each other. Was this truly the Will of Fire? 

Pulling herself out of her spiraling thoughts, Nonō's gaze shifted to Byakuya and Konan.

When Kabuto had mentioned the name "Byakuya," it struck her as familiar. After some reflection, she recalled who he was. 

Byakuya was a former disciple of the demigod Hanzo and had once assisted Konoha in its war against Kumogakure. 

Logically, his relationship with Konoha's leadership should have been good. Why, then, would he be secretly nurturing Kabuto? Could it be those relations between Konoha and Amegakure were not as strong as they appeared? 

After pondering for a moment, Nonō approached Byakuya with a faint smile. "Lord Byakuya, thank you for looking after Kabuto. If it weren't for you, I don't know how we would've gotten through today." 

Byakuya nodded nonchalantly and replied, "It was nothing. But what are your plans now, Miss Nonō? Will you return to Konoha, or defect from the village?" 

Hearing this, Nonō sighed softly. 

"Since Danzo has issued such an order, I have no reason to remain in the village. But if I defect, it will undoubtedly affect Kabuto and the other children. And so, Lord Byakuya, do you have any suggestions?" 

Seeing how perceptive Nonō was, Byakuya immediately responded, 

"Why not abandon your past identity and join Amegakure as someone who no longer exists? Unlike Konoha, we of Amegakure do not betray our comrades." 

Kabuto chimed in from the side, "Director, Lord Byakuya is absolutely right. Haven't you always wanted to start over with a new identity? Amegakure is your best option." 

Nonō was silent for a few seconds, but her mind was already made up.

Given the current circumstances, joining Amegakure was her only choice. Moreover, the person she cared about most, Kabuto, was already under Byakuya's protection. She had no alternative.

"Lord Byakuya, I'll be counting on your guidance from now on." 

As Byakuya extended his hand to welcome her into their ranks, he suddenly sensed danger. Quickly dodging, he narrowly avoided an explosion as flames erupted where he had just stood. 

Amid the deafening blast, a figure appeared before them. 

The newcomer wore the uniform of Iwagakure shinobi, with long blonde hair tied in a ponytail. His youthful face was that of defiance, exuding a wild arrogance.

Before Byakuya and Konan could react, Nonō and Kabuto had already recognized the blond youth and shouted, 

"Lord Byakuya, he's Deidara, Iwagakure's prodigy!" 

"Deidara."

Hearing the name, Byakuya narrowed his eyes and began scrutinizing the genius from Iwagakure. 

Though young, Deidara's chakra levels were comparable to a Chūnin's. The explosive clay attack just now would have been difficult for most Genin or even Chūnin to evade. 

Unfortunately, a genius who has yet to fully mature is still just a genius. 

Sensing something was off, Deidara's gaze grew wary as he sized up Byakuya and the others, beginning to question their identities.

He had escaped from a confinement room and come straight to the training grounds outside the village, hoping to vent his frustrations amidst the mountains and rocks. The explosive clay he had just used was meant as a lesson for the inattentive guards.

But now, it seemed these people weren't from the village.

Two of them weren't even wearing village forehead protectors, and their behavior was suspicious. They didn't look like good people at all. 

Could he have stumbled upon a meeting between enemies and spies tonight? 

Deidara's lips curled into a faint smile. Finally, he had an excuse to unleash his art freely. 

If this was an enemy infiltration, no matter how much havoc he caused, that old man Ōnoki wouldn't reprimand him. 

Deidara reached into his pouch, retrieving a handful of white clay. He let the mouths on his palms chew the material for a few seconds, infusing it with chakra. Then, shaping the clay into the form of a bird, he directed it to fly straight toward Byakuya. 

Despite the incoming threat of the explosive clay, Byakuya remained calm, even finding the situation slightly amusing. 

'Back when I was playing with explosive tags, this brat was still wetting his pants,' he thought to himself. 

Deidara laughed as he watched his creation soar through the air. "Witness the greatness of my art! My art is an explosion—KABOOM!" 

What Deidara didn't expect was for his explosive clay bird to be intercepted mid-air before it even hit the ground. Surrounding it were dozens of explosive tags, which detonated the bird prematurely in a brilliant flash. 

The person responsible was none other than Konan. Intrigued by the power of Deidara's explosive clay, she decided to intervene and test this upstart. 

As the explosion lit up the night sky, the shockwave rippled through the area, causing everyone's clothes to flap violently in the blast's aftermath. 

Deidara, however, wasn't angered by the interception. Instead, he laughed. "So, you're also a ninja who appreciates the artistry of explosions! But when it comes to true talent in art, there's no way you can outshine me!" 

With that, Deidara retrieved even more explosive clay, his face alight with excitement. It had been a long time since he'd encountered another ninja who specialized in explosive techniques, and the blue-haired woman before him was the first in years to truly pique his interest. 

Konan, on the other hand, felt a twinge of annoyance at Deidara's antics. The reckless enthusiasm reminded her of Byakuya from five or six years ago. Still, her strength had grown considerably since then, and she was more than capable of handling this problematic youth. 

With a mere thought, hundreds of explosive tags materialized around her and surged toward Deidara in unison. 

Her intent was clear: she wanted to subdue Deidara with a demonstration of her own explosive expertise and teach the arrogant young ninja a lesson. 

In an instant, explosive clay collided with explosive tags, illuminating the darkened landscape with dazzling fireworks. The ground trembled under the force of the successive blasts, each one echoing like a thunderclap across the battlefield.