"Members of Atsukara?"
The words struck like a thunderclap, exploding in everyone's minds, the immense sound seeming to shake their skulls, leaving countless echoes swirling in the depths of their thoughts.
Some hearts jumped violently, as if they might burst out of their throats at any moment.
Lately, in the ninja world, Wood Ox and Phantom Tiger from Atsukara had gained great fame, becoming the topic of everyone's conversation.
Who would have thought that the people standing before them were also members of Atsukara?
A terrifying aura radiated from them, an aura that seemed no weaker than Neji's, who was currently in the center of the Eight Trigrams Formation.
Everyone's hearts leapt, the pressure from the three in front pressing down like an invisible mountain, making it hard to even breathe.
Their gazes sharpened, eyes full of caution as they looked at the three.
"You're members of Atsukara?" Shimura Danzo's brows furrowed tightly, his normally dark expression growing even colder, as if a layer of frost had formed over him.
He knew well that the leader of Atsukara, the short, black-robed, monkey-masked killer, had a deep-seated hatred for the Konoha Council clan.
The enmity between them was like an unbridgeable chasm, irreversible, and it had already reached the point of life or death.
So, there was no doubt—the people before him were enemies of Konoha.
With that thought, Danzo's mind began to stir, already calculating possibilities.
These people might also serve as useful test subjects, perhaps alongside Neji.
"Of course. We are members of Atsukara!" Deidara nodded again, his demeanor casual and free-spirited.
Compared to Kimimaro and Jugo, who were rather quiet, Deidara was more talkative.
After confirming once more, he continued, "I'll make it clear today—so long as the three of us are here, no one is allowed to touch Neji!"
His voice was firm and powerful, warning everyone present without a hint of doubt.
"Neji is my friend. You can't touch him!" Jūgo stepped forward.
His massive body was like a small mountain, and with a single step, he exuded an overwhelming presence.
He glared at the ninjas, and his aura burst forth without holding anything back.
It was as if the air around him could ignite under the sheer force of his presence.
At this moment, he seemed like a small giant, standing there and radiating a terrifying aura.
Kimimaro also stepped forward.
Though he didn't speak, his actions already showed his determination.
His Byakugan eyes scanned the surroundings warily, like a crouching leopard ready to pounce.
Any sudden movement nearby would make him strike without hesitation.
"Deidara?" Kakashi looked at Deidara, frowning with confusion and concern.
He instinctively took a few steps back—not out of fear, but from a natural sense of caution.
Deidara had been personally overseen by Genya in Konoha and stationed outside the village.
Yet now he had left on his own and claimed to be part of Atsukara.
This series of actions seemed extremely suspicious.
Could this have been orchestrated by Genya?
Kakashi's eyes quickly scanned the area.
He was eager to find Genya, hoping for answers from him.
But no matter how thoroughly he searched, Genya's figure was nowhere to be seen.
"These three?" Might Guy scratched his head repeatedly, wearing a puzzled expression.
He was trying hard to remember if he had seen these people before.
His mind raced, searching through memories, but nothing came to him.
His brow furrowed tightly, and he muttered "Hmm, hmm" as he tried to dig up some clue from deep within his memory.
Kakashi glanced at him with slight helplessness and rubbed his forehead.
With Might Guy's mind, even recognizing someone familiar would take him a long time.
These three were probably strangers to him entirely; no matter how hard he tried, he likely wouldn't remember them.
"Are you trying to cause trouble in Konoha?" Asuma Sarutobi stepped forward, glaring at the arrogant Deidara and his companions.
As an elite ninja of Konoha, he had never encountered such prideful people.
Especially these three, daring to speak recklessly in front of Konoha's elite, was a blatant provocation.
They clearly didn't respect Konoha.
He stepped closer, brow tightly furrowed, anger evident in his voice as he questioned them.
"No, we're not here to cause trouble. We're here to clear the area!" Deidara brushed his side bangs casually.
The gesture was calm, as if everything before him was under his control.
He spoke calmly, without hurry. "Please step back and don't interfere with my brother's work!"
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried confidence, as if to tell everyone that his words were an order that could not be disobeyed.
Clear the area?
At this, everyone present was stunned.
This was blatant disrespect toward Konoha's elite ninja, especially with the Hokage standing right there. He was giving Hiruzen Sarutobi not an ounce of face!
"You're arrogant!" Asuma Sarutobi's expression shifted from initial concern to anger as he heard Deidara's brazen words.
He drew a kunai in his hand, ready to strike at Deidara.
"Oh? Want to make a move? I was just wishing someone would show some courage!" Deidara suddenly produced a few small clay spiders in his hand. They began crawling down swiftly.
"Asuma, stand down!" Hiruzen Sarutobi shouted to his subordinate. The pressure from these few made him cautious. If Asuma acted on his own, they might face a disadvantage.
"Brother?" Neji, within the Eight Trigrams Formation, watched the calmness with which they faced Konoha's finest and felt a wave of emotion.
In all his years within the Hyuga clan, he had felt the coldness of the world. No one had ever sincerely called him "brother."
Apart from Genya and the others, almost no one treated him with genuine kindness.
This sense of brotherhood flowed warmly in his heart.
Yet, thinking of this made Neji anxious.
He knew Konoha had many powerful ninjas. Once a fight broke out, Deidara and the others could easily fall into danger.
He couldn't let his own concerns drag them into harm. With that in mind, he struggled to fend off Sarutobi's attacks while shouting, "Leave immediately! This is my matter—you don't need to interfere!"
His voice grew hoarse from urgency. He resisted the Adamantine Staff while shouting, unwilling to let Deidara and the others get caught up in danger because of him.
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