As the group entered, several sharp, piercing gazes immediately turned toward them.
A stern-looking middle-aged man lifted his head. When he saw Hirata, surprise flashed across his face. He put down the blueprints in his hands and strode forward.
The two men embraced firmly, their familiarity evident, before breaking into hearty laughter.
The middle-aged man wore a gray-blue uniform. His hair was thinning, mostly black with streaks of white, yet his eyes were bright and spirited, betraying a sharp and energetic mind.
Deidara, however, wasn't looking at him at all.
His gaze was locked onto Sasori.
Why is Sasori here?
This was clearly a top-secret project. His own presence here meant he was already considered part of Umbrella. Did that mean Sasori was also part of the organization?
No—that didn't seem right.
Sasori's appearance was different from his usual self. If someone didn't know him well, they would never recognize him. That meant only one thing.
Undercover?
Deidara frowned slightly.
Should he report this? After all, he was now a member of Umbrella.
If Sasori found out—
Deidara shuddered.
Sasori would cry himself to death.
In truth, Deidara wasn't the only one shocked.
Sasori himself was even more astonished.
He had entered this place purely by accident. If he hadn't focused entirely on mechanical engineering—without any intention of passing information back to the Akatsuki—and if he hadn't been noticed by a major figure and taken on as a disciple, he wouldn't have had access to this level of research at all.
But Deidara?
How did he get in here?
After a moment of thought, Deidara decided to observe quietly.
What if Sasori had also been persuaded by the Leader?
Just as Deidara was about to step forward and greet him, Sasori shot him a subtle glance.
In that instant, Deidara understood.
Yes—Sasori had definitely slipped in under a false identity. His cover absolutely could not be exposed.
Still…
Why was Sasori involved in this project?
Did Sasori also find this kind of art fascinating? Had he decided to change paths as well?
Soon, the two middle-aged men finished reminiscing and began talking in earnest.
The stern man's name was Sawai. He and Hirata had studied under the same mentor—Old Dōra.
Hirata was an authority on explosives.
Sawai, on the other hand, was a giant in mechanical engineering.
That was precisely why the two had come together—to jointly develop the Western Wind Delivery Project.
In terms of sheer destructive capability, Western Wind Delivery was comparable to the power wielded by the Five Kage.
Though it still fell short of monsters like Senju Hashirama or Uchiha Madara, within the Ninja World, it was nothing short of catastrophic for anyone else.
Yet its most terrifying aspect wasn't its raw power.
It was its range.
Yes—range.
Its strike radius was vast enough to devastate enemy territory before they even had time to react.
For instance, if Konoha discovered that Kumogakure intended to launch an attack, a single Western Wind Delivery strike could cripple the Hidden Cloud Village before its shinobi even left their homes.
This was precisely why Umbrella was investing so heavily in this project.
"Hirata!" Sawai said enthusiastically. "Come take a look—I've found an excellent talent. Let me introduce him to you."
"This is Hiruko—my proud disciple!"
Hirata's expression immediately darkened.
So that's what this was about…
He had wondered why Sawai had been so enthusiastic, thinking it was merely because they hadn't seen each other in years. He hadn't expected this ambush.
Old friend… you miscalculated this time.
Hirata followed Sawai's gesture and saw a figure completely wrapped in a black robe. Not even a sliver of skin was visible.
That sight made Hirata frown.
Noticing his reaction, Sawai hurriedly explained, "Hirata, you don't understand. My disciple is capable in every field—he's just a bit… cautious."
"Yes, cautious. That's the word."
"He built this armor to protect himself. He used to call it a puppet, but after my guidance, he corrected that notion."
Sawai snorted lightly.
"'Puppet' is a shinobi term. We don't use that kind of thinking here."
Sawai looked visibly proud, and Hirata finally understood.
Sawai waved toward the black-robed figure. "Hiruko, don't stay inside your armor all day. People will start thinking you're a ghost."
"This is my old friend—Hirata!"
Deidara stared at Sasori.
So Sasori was using the alias Hiruko.
But wasn't Hiruko the name of Sasori's puppet?
And the "armor" they were talking about…
That's Hiruko itself, isn't it?
Deidara felt as if he had pieced everything together and couldn't help feeling secretly pleased.
However—
The next scene left him momentarily dumbfounded.
Sasori shed his black robe.
A handsome young man with delicate features stepped out from within the puppet. His red hair and youthful appearance made him look almost like a refined, well-behaved boy.
"Pfft—!"
"Cough, cough…"
Deidara immediately clenched his fist and raised it to his mouth, pretending to cough to hide his reaction.
At that moment, Sawai's attention finally shifted from Hirata to Deidara. He studied him briefly, then asked with slight hesitation,
"And this young man is…?"
His gaze turned toward Hirata, clearly asking for an introduction.
Anyone allowed into this place possessed outstanding technical ability—but Deidara looked far too young.
Hirata straightened his back, his expression turning smug. Putting on a deliberately serious face, he said,
"Oh, him? He's also my new disciple."
"His skills aren't that impressive—only about thirty percent of my level."
Sawai's eyes widened.
If anyone else had said that, he would have assumed it was mere boasting. But Sawai knew exactly how terrifying Hirata's true level was.
Deidara's combat strength might surpass Hirata's, but Hirata's greatest asset lay in the vast knowledge stored in his mind.
Possessing even thirty percent of Hirata's capability meant Deidara could already lead a small research department on his own.
More importantly, it meant Deidara had immense potential.
Very likely… he would surpass Hirata one day.
Sawai looked at Deidara with barely concealed excitement. Yet he felt no regret—after all, he too had found an exceptional disciple.
If not for that, Sawai suspected he might have been so jealous that he would have activated his Sharingan on the spot.
"Deidara," Hirata said calmly,
"come greet your senior uncle."
"He's a master of mechanics and once led the construction of the second-generation fighter jet."
The first-generation fighter jet, Hirata didn't mention aloud, had been led by their mentor—Old Dōra.
Even now, Old Dōra still served as the general manager of Sky City.
Over the past few days, Deidara had gradually come to understand just how terrifying the Umbrella Organization truly was.
Setting aside shinobi alone, the sheer number of ammunition stockpiles—and the mechanical birds capable of flying through the skies, which they called airplanes—
were already enough to conquer an entire country.
His clay birds required chakra. Once his chakra was depleted, flight was impossible.
His ninjutsu was only effective at medium to long range.
But Umbrella…
Umbrella could strike from ultra-long range.
Their power was beyond imagination.
The more Deidara interacted with them, the more he understood why the Leader had chosen to pledge allegiance.
On the surface, the strength of the Ninja World was undeniable—Naruto stood at its peak, alongside the Five Kage. Their individual combat power was overwhelming.
Yet Umbrella possessed weapons.
And when Deidara witnessed explosives created without chakra, achieving such terrifying effects, he could hardly believe it.
In his view, it was only a matter of time before the Umbrella Organization ruled the entire world.
But that had nothing to do with him.
He didn't care about domination.
He only wanted to pursue his art.
And this place—was a sacred ground that allowed him to experience a joy he hadn't felt in a very long time.
(End of Chapter)
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