The room fell into a brief silence.
Pain looked calmly at Deidara. After a moment, he reached into his cloak and withdrew an unfamiliar object.
Deidara instinctively craned his neck forward.
In Pain's hand was a square, iron-like device.
Before Deidara could examine it closely, the object suddenly lit up.
His pupils shrank.
It… glowed?
Just as curiosity surged within him, Pain spoke in an even voice.
"Since you believe that no one's art can surpass yours," he said, "then today, I'll show you."
As he spoke, Pain gestured lightly.
"Come closer."
Deidara hesitated for only a heartbeat before stepping forward. His curiosity had already overwhelmed him. He wanted to see it—see what kind of art dared to claim superiority over his explosions.
If such art truly existed, he wouldn't mind eating the moon.
Pain operated the device somewhat awkwardly.
This strange object was something he had obtained from Umbrella—and it was the key to winning Deidara over completely.
Soon, an image appeared on the glowing surface.
Deidara's breathing unconsciously slowed.
The scene showed a vast stretch of land—dry, barren, and yellow—its environment strikingly similar to the Land of Wind.
Then, a strange object descended from the sky.
Before Deidara could even process what he was seeing—
BOOM!!!!!
The desert roared.
Lightning and fire erupted in an instant as the earth trembled violently. A terrifying explosion engulfed the land, and an enormous column of smoke surged into the sky.
Within dozens of miles, the ground vanished beneath raging flames and billowing dust.
The rising smoke formed a towering shape—wide at the top, narrow at the bottom.
A colossal mushroom-shaped cloud.
Deidara's jaw dropped.
His expression froze completely, his body trembling uncontrollably. Whatever boastful thoughts he had just moments ago were obliterated without a trace.
Pain observed him quietly, a faint sense of satisfaction stirring in his heart. When he had first witnessed this scene, he had been just as shaken.
Even Shinra Tensei—even its large-scale version—could not compare to this level of destruction.
"Le… le… leader…"
Deidara stammered, his teeth chattering as he pointed shakily at the glowing device.
"Is that… is that what you called the Mushroom Bomb?!"
His eyes shone with an almost fanatical brilliance.
Before Pain could respond, Deidara suddenly dropped to his knees. He grabbed Pain's hand tightly, refusing to let go.
"Leader! This is unparalleled art!" he shouted excitedly.
"Those flames—those shining flames—how could anything be more beautiful?!"
"Whose masterpiece is this?! Is this the Mushroom Bomb you mentioned?!"
At that moment, everything clicked.
When it exploded, it truly resembled a mushroom.
No wonder it was called a Mushroom Bomb.
Deidara's body was still trembling, but now it was no longer fear—it was pure exhilaration.
Pain allowed himself a faint smile.
To Deidara, explosive art outweighed everything else—including his own life.
Half the battle was already won.
"Deidara," Pain asked calmly, "are you convinced now?"
Even as he spoke, Pain himself felt unsettled. Seeing it again was no less shocking than the first time.
What Pain didn't know was that the image he had just shown was not real.
It was fabricated.
In the current era of the Ninja World, Naruto had no intention of creating such a weapon yet. If something like this were to leak, it would be no different from digging his own grave.
Even so, the Mushroom Bomb—if it truly existed—might only threaten the Five Kage at best. It might not even be enough to kill someone like Orochimaru, who possessed terrifying survival abilities.
But against ordinary ninja?
It would be nothing short of a divine artifact.
If such a thing detonated in the Ninja World, the destruction—both to humanity and the environment—would be immeasurable.
In Naruto's eyes, the Ninja World was already his base. Before facing external threats, internal stability had to be ensured.
And besides—
The true enemy had not yet appeared.
"Leader!"
Deidara raised his head, eyes burning with determination.
"I want to follow this senior and learn how to create Mushroom Bombs!"
"I'm willing to do anything you ask!"
To him, mastering this art meant he could die without regret.
Art was the Mushroom Bomb.
Pain looked down at him.
"Deidara," he said slowly, "have you truly thought this through?"
"Are you absolutely certain… that you're willing to do anything I ask?"
Pain spoke softly.
The calmness in his voice made Deidara freeze, his heart suddenly sinking. He looked up and met the Leader's unwavering gaze—focused, intense, filled with an emotion Deidara couldn't immediately interpret.
For a fleeting moment, a ridiculous thought crossed his mind.
Could it be… the Leader means something else?
Deidara hesitated.
Was this a choice between art and… himself?
After a brief internal struggle, Deidara clenched his teeth.
A body is nothing more than a shell, he told himself. Only art is eternal.
As Deidara stood there deep in thought, Pain could tell that he was making a decision. What Pain did not—and could never—imagine was what Deidara was actually thinking.
Had he known, he might have directly blasted Deidara away with Shinra Tensei.
"Leader," Deidara said cautiously, glancing sideways, "wouldn't this… be a little unfair to Konan?"
He shot Konan a meaningful look.
Pain—controlled by Nagato—paused.
Konan also froze for a brief second.
What did this have to do with her?
Neither of them was foolish. From Deidara's oddly suggestive gaze, they both realized what he had misunderstood.
Konan's expression instantly darkened.
Sheets of paper began drifting from her body.
Nagato's eyes sharpened.
"Shinra Tensei!"
"Dance of the Shikigami!"
"AHHH—!!!"
A chorus of miserable screams echoed through the room.
Moments later, Deidara lay sprawled on the ground, bruised, swollen, and trembling.
Only then did he finally understand—
The Leader absolutely did not mean what he had imagined.
At the same time, he felt an inexplicable sense of relief.
At least… his innocence was safe.
Soon after, Pain explained everything.
"What?!"
Deidara shot upright, disbelief written all over his face.
We were ready to fight to the death—so why is the Leader surrendering to the enemy?!
The ultimate explosive art… was actually developed by the Umbrella Organization.
And Pain—somehow—had already aligned himself with Umbrella.
"It's exactly as you think," Pain said calmly.
"Why did you join this organization in the first place? Was it truly for peace? Or was it for art?"
"I have already found peace," Pain continued.
"My goal has been fulfilled. But what about you, Deidara?"
"What about your art?"
The question struck directly at Deidara's core.
He fell silent.
When he thought about it carefully, nothing had truly changed. The organization was still the organization—the only difference was that the one standing at its peak had changed.
And more importantly…
He had witnessed art beyond comparison.
After a brief session of self-persuasion, Deidara successfully convinced himself.
He chose to follow his heart.
Besides, the Leader had already revealed such an enormous secret.
If Deidara refused now, would he even live to see tomorrow's sun?
And, of course—
That video played a decisive role.
"Leader," Deidara said firmly, lifting his head, "I choose to join!"
"Very good."
Pain smiled in satisfaction.
Winning Deidara over had been far easier than expected.
Yet through this encounter, Nagato also gained a deeper understanding of just how terrifying Umbrella truly was.
Even if he succeeded in creating the Ten-Tails… could it withstand something like a Mushroom Bomb?
Nagato didn't know the answer.
But one thing was certain—
The dawn of peace was drawing closer.
Naruto had told him before that even his former companion, Yahiko, might one day be resurrected and personally witness the arrival of that peace.
And now…
Nagato was beginning to believe it.
(End of Chapter)
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