Return of the Uchiha Prodigy

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"Damn it!"

Deidara's voice rang out, sharp and furious, as his piercing blue eyes locked onto Itachi. His fists clenched tightly, trembling with barely restrained rage. No one had ever dared to defy his art so blatantly—let alone dismiss it with such cold disdain.

His hand darted into his pouch, pulling out a handful of clay.

"Are you angry?" Itachi's calm voice cut through the tension like a blade, his crimson Sharingan spinning lazily.

Deidara's jaw tightened, his glare only intensifying.

Itachi studied the younger ninja's reaction carefully. The raw emotion, the way Deidara's anger flared uncontrollably—it was exactly as he remembered. Deidara was a prodigy, no doubt, but his obsession with fleeting explosions, his so-called "art of an instant," bordered on madness.

Itachi's mind raced. Deidara's fixation could be used against him.

Subtly, Itachi activated his Sharingan's genjutsu, a faint shimmer in his gaze betraying the illusion he was preparing. The "Demonic Illusion: Mirror Heaven and Earth Change" technique was poised to ensnare Deidara the moment he made a move.

But before Itachi could act, the calm voice of Huitu, the Iwagakure jonin leading Deidara's group, cut through the escalating tension.

"Retreat."

Deidara didn't even flinch.

"Deidara, we're leaving!" Kurotsuchi, his cousin, dashed to his side, gripping his arm urgently. Her eyes flickered nervously to Itachi and his companions, clearly aware of the danger they posed.

But Deidara was deaf to reason, his focus solely on Itachi.

"This is my masterpiece," he muttered, pulling out a massive lump of clay from his pouch. With practiced precision, his hand-mouth sculpted the clay into the shape of a starfish. The explosive radiated a chakra signature so intense it caused the air around them to hum.

"Get back!" shouted Aoki Yu, the young Konoha ninja with sharp senses. Her face paled as she felt the dense chakra swirling within the clay. "The scale of this is insane!"

Itachi exchanged a quick glance with Izumi, who immediately grabbed Rei, the mission target, and leapt back. Itachi himself stayed rooted, watching Deidara carefully, his Sharingan reading every minute movement.

"Let's see you stop this!" Deidara snarled, hurling the clay star into the air. His right hand shot up, fingers forming a seal. "C3: Supernova!"

The star exploded in a blinding flash of light, followed by a deafening boom.

"Brace yourselves!" Shikaku barked, shielding his face as a massive wave of heat and pressure tore through the area. The sheer force sent cracks rippling through the cliffside, dislodging boulders that tumbled into the valley below.

Flames roared, consuming everything within a radius of several dozen meters. For a moment, it seemed as though the entire mountain itself would crumble.

Itachi darted back with the others, weaving hand signs as he moved. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" A massive sphere of flames erupted from his mouth, clashing with the remnants of Deidara's explosion, creating a temporary buffer that shielded his group.

By the time the flames settled, the battlefield was a smoldering ruin. Across the valley, Deidara and his team stood on the opposite cliff, their silhouettes barely visible through the smoke.

Deidara turned, a wicked grin plastered on his face. "That's art, yeah!" he called mockingly before disappearing into the trees with his comrades.

Rei collapsed to his knees, trembling. "That... that was just one jutsu?"

Shikaku narrowed his eyes, surveying the devastation. "I've seen many explosions in my time, but this... the scale of that attack is on another level."

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The echoes of the explosion gradually faded, leaving behind a scorched mountainside and a lingering tension in the air. Flames still crackled weakly along the cliff face, casting faint shadows on the stunned expressions of the Konoha shinobi.

Izumi exhaled shakily, her hand gripping Aoki Yu's arm for stability. "That... was unreal," she murmured, her eyes darting to the smoldering remnants of Deidara's jutsu.

Aoki Yu nodded, sweat beading on her forehead. "To think someone so young could wield such destructive power…" her voice trailed off, and she shook her head in disbelief. "What a terrifying kid."

Itachi, however, remained composed, though his gaze was sharp with calculation. He knew this was just the beginning. Deidara's potential was boundless, and his explosiveness—both literal and figurative—would only grow with time. Yet, the one who truly captured Itachi's attention wasn't Deidara, but the Iwa jonin, Huitu.

Despite his young age, Huitu had demonstrated a level of tactical acumen that couldn't be ignored. He had anticipated Itachi's attempt to exploit Deidara's temper, retreating before his team fell into a trap. That level of caution and decisiveness was rare, even among seasoned jonin.

Itachi's lips pressed into a thin line. If not for the need to maintain appearances in front of Shikaku and the others, he could have easily dispatched all three Iwa shinobi. But his hands were tied. Revealing too much of his power here would only raise suspicion.

Shikaku broke the silence, his voice measured. "Aoki, can you sense them?"

The younger ninja closed her eyes, focusing her chakra. After a moment, she shook her head. "No. Their signatures are completely suppressed. Huitu must be using a sensory disruption technique to shield them."

Shikaku's brow furrowed slightly. "As expected of someone chosen to lead both Deidara and the Tsuchikage's granddaughter. This won't be the last we see of them."

He turned to their client, Rei, offering a reassuring nod. "But rest assured, Mr. Rei. Konoha will see this mission through. We'll get you to the Land of Forests safely to complete your negotiations."

Rei hesitated, his gaze lowering. "I… I owe you all an apology." He straightened, bowing deeply to the group. "I misjudged you. Your abilities, your dedication—I underestimated all of it. Please forgive me for my earlier doubts."

Izumi smiled, waving a hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it. Protecting clients is part of the job."

Aoki Yu chuckled softly. "As long as you're safe, that's all that matters."

Itachi inclined his head slightly, acknowledging Rei's apology, though his mind was elsewhere.

"Perfectly executed," Shikaku's voice interrupted his thoughts.

Itachi blinked, turning to his mentor. "What is it, Shikaku-sensei?"

Shikaku studied him intently, his tone firm. "Your tactical thinking during the battle was flawless. Anticipating their movements, manipulating Deidara's temper—it was a masterclass in strategy. But…" His voice dipped slightly, becoming more serious.

Itachi's gaze remained steady. "But?"

"There's something I've noticed about you," Shikaku said slowly. "You approach every situation with a level of detachment that's almost unsettling. It's a strength, but also…" He trailed off, his expression unreadable.

Itachi tilted his head slightly but said nothing, waiting for Shikaku to continue.

After a pause, Shikaku sighed and shook his head. "Never mind. You did well today, Itachi. Better than I could've hoped for."

The group began to move again, their steps steady as they navigated the rugged terrain. The mountain's shadow stretched long in the fading sunlight, but for Itachi, the day was far from over.

He glanced back toward the distant horizon, where Deidara and his team had vanished. The confrontation had been brief, but it had revealed much.

"Deidara… Huitu…" Itachi murmured under his breath. "Next time, I'll be ready."

And with that, he continued forward, his expression calm but his mind alight with plans.

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