"Sorry, Old Man… I won't just stay outside the Village doing nothing. Since I'm out, I must pursue that ultimate explosive art! Hm!"
On a dusty path at the border of the Land of Earth, a figure was making his way unhurriedly. But this young man was completely different from other travelers; almost all his attention was focused on his hands, meticulously fiddling with a constantly kneaded and shaped white substance.
He had long, deep golden hair, with bangs falling diagonally, covering his right eye. His exposed left eye had a blue-green pupil, sparkling with an artist's focused and fervent light.
This was Deidara, who had just been expelled from Iwagakure. However, compared to the wild and uninhibited Akatsuki member he would become, his face still held a hint of youthful immaturity.
"The Land of Fire, huh… It's quite a long journey." He muttered to himself while shaping, "If the Old Man knew I not only wasn't reflecting but also ran off to Konoha's territory, I wonder how angry he'd be… But, if I could take this opportunity to join that legendary organization… Oh oh! This shape feels really good!"
After some careful tinkering, Deidara was finally satisfied with his creation. The white clay in his hands had been molded into a simple-style spider.
Just then, a rustling sound, unnatural, suddenly came from the nearby forest.
Deidara abruptly raised his head, his gaze sweeping towards the source of the sound. His body appeared to remain in a relaxed standing posture, but the fingers holding the clay spider were slightly curled inward, ready to throw and instantly detonate it—should the newcomer show the slightest hostility.
"…What is that? A tiger?"
What slowly emerged from the dense bushes was not a human Ninja, but an unusually large, white tiger.
But what was most striking was the mask covering its face, made of an unknown material and carved with bizarre fox patterns, giving off an unsettling feeling.
Because the white tiger showed no immediate signs of aggression, Deidara did not act right away, but observed it with high vigilance, especially that peculiar mask.
"Is it some kind of summoning beast? That mask on its face… It looks so strange. Hm?"
"Odd… Why do I feel like I've seen it somewhere before?"
He searched his memory, trying to find the source of this familiar feeling.
Just as Deidara was scrutinizing the white tiger with the eerie fox mask, trying to recall the source of that familiarity, another strange sound came from the surrounding forest!
But this time, the sound didn't come from a single direction. Rustling sounds echoed simultaneously from all sides, and a suffocating sense of pressure surged from the woods like a tide.
Immediately after, figures of various forms, emitting different auras, slowly revealed themselves from the surrounding shadows and trees.
First to appear were four other massive, uniquely shaped summoning beasts, which, along with the white tiger, formed a perfect encirclement.
Perched on a thick branch was a giant snake, its golden body silently locking onto the young man below.
Beside it, the colossal tortoise-snake hybrid, Genbu, lay steadily on the ground. In the sky above, the giant bird Suzaku glided silently, and the massive dragon-like creature, Seiryu, emitted a low hum.
These vastly different yet equally powerful Chakra-emitting summoning beasts were the Nine-Faced Beast.
And at both ends of the path, in the rear, stood two humanoid figures: Nanto Sennin and Hokuto Sennin, one holding a staff, the other forming a hand seal.
Truly blocking Deidara's path were two figures standing directly in front of him: one was the black-robed Shinigami, holding a massive scythe and emitting an ominous aura, and the other was the Tennyo.
Looking at the beings that surrounded him, Deidara's vague memories instantly became crystal clear! His body began to tremble uncontrollably, but it was not out of fear; it was a shiver of extreme excitement and ecstasy!
"Hey, hey… Is this for real, hey?!" He almost incoherently roared, his eyes wide with excitement, "If… if it really is that organization I'm imagining! The leader! Come out now! Don't hide your head and tail!"
Faced with Deidara's much more exuberant reaction than expected, Menma, hidden in the shadows, was slightly surprised. With a thought, he used the Flying Thunder God coordinates engraved on the Nine-Faced Beast, and his figure appeared without warning in front of Deidara, standing precisely between the Shinigami and the Tennyo.
Deidara's gaze quickly swept over Menma, eagerly catching every feature on him—the fox mask, the black robe, and the Nine-Faced Beast by his side.
That's right! It was him! The person the Old Man had secretly searched for and feared for so long! The leader of the Akatsuki organization!
Deidara's heart pounded relentlessly. To think… I actually ran into him here!
Although he didn't know why he appeared at the Land of Earth's border… but the target was right in front of him, which made things much easier!
Just then, Menma's voice came through the mask, directly stating his purpose. "Explosion Release Ninja, Deidara. I am here to welcome you to join the Akatsuki organization and become one of us."
Hearing this, Deidara's smile instantly widened, becoming more flamboyant and fervent. He responded almost impatiently.
"That's just too good! Perfect! I also came out specifically to find you, Akatsuki, in pursuit of ultimate art!"
Seeing Deidara in this almost fanatical state of excitement, Menma instantly understood. So that's it… It seems the Great Spiraling Ring he dropped near Konoha back then…
Its destructive explosion and 'artistic' presentation had caused a butterfly effect far exceeding expectations.
"In that case…"
Menma had just begun to speak, attempting to guide the conversation towards the formal recruitment process. However, the next moment, an unexpected change occurred!
Deidara, without warning, violently hurled the white clay spider he had been molding at Menma!
"Hmph!"
Almost the instant the clay spider left his hand, Deidara had already completed the final hand seal with one hand, letting out a short, sharp cry!
The clay spider flying towards Menma instantly expanded, and the Chakra contained within it was detonated in a flash!
"Boom—!!!"
A violent explosion roared! A scorching blast of air, mixed with dirt and shattered grass, violently spread outwards. Dense smoke and dust instantly engulfed the spot where Menma had just stood, temporarily obscuring Deidara's vision.
However, when the smoke and dust quickly cleared, the center of the explosion was empty. Not only had Menma's figure vanished, but even the two Shinigami and Tennyo who had been standing beside him were also gone.
"You're certainly full of energy." The voice once again came from behind Deidara without warning.
Deidara sharply turned around, only to see Menma had silently appeared a few meters behind him at some point, his black robe as neat as new, not even a speck of dust on it.
"Very good. It seems your art pursues that fleeting, ultimate splendor, filled with explosive tension and… tragic beauty."
Indeed… these guys with special talents are all unruly and not so easy to obey. In the end, it's necessary to 'communicate' with them through action first.
Menma sighed helplessly in his heart, already prepared for a "recruitment assessment."
But to his surprise, Deidara did not launch another attack. Instead, he quickly raised both hands, making a slightly exaggerated "pause" gesture, and explained with an eager expression.
"Wait, wait, wait! You misunderstood! I wasn't trying to fight you! Hm!"
He stared intently at Menma, his tone becoming unusually serious, "I just wanted to use the simplest and most direct method to verify whether the guy in front of me is truly the leader of the Akatsuki organization, and not some boring imposter!"
Menma paused slightly at his words, standing silently in place, waiting for Deidara to continue.
Seeing that Menma didn't immediately make a move, Deidara excitedly proposed his conditions. "It's very simple to get me to join your organization! You just need to meet two conditions!"
"First! Let me witness with my own eyes that legendary ultimate art—the perfect explosion you displayed over Konoha, the one that reduces everything to nothingness!"
"Second! Promise me! Teach me that Ninjutsu!"
"As long as you can do these two things! I will immediately join your Akatsuki organization! Hm!"