Deidara.
One of the new members of the Akatsuki Organization.
Before joining the Akatsuki, this guy didn't have a pleasant life.
Because Deidara's mentor, the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, had become senile, always nagging him to learn Dust Release, saying that Akihara Kagura from Konoha learned it after just hearing it once.
Akihara Kagura really had it rough.
Deidara was the model child that everyone admired, supposed to be a praised genius, yet now he was constantly berated by the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, to the point he couldn't even lift his head.
Twelve-year-old Deidara still had a playful side and wanted to play with his clay artworks every day, but Onoki thought he didn't want to properly learn Dust Release.
New grievances and old grudges.
Moreover, Deidara was just a child.
Deidara felt like he had always lived under Akihara Kagura's shadow.
Fortunately.
The Akatsuki Organization came to recruit Deidara.
This group of kind-hearted people in cloud black robes beat him up, trying to free Deidara from the hardships of studying.
Uchiha Itachi, who was responsible for beating Deidara, even went so far as to tell Deidara that the child he hated, Akihara Kagura, was also a foe of the Akatsuki.
Naturally.
Deidara immediately developed quite a liking for the Akatsuki Organization.
Now that Deidara had joined Akatsuki, he always had artistic freedom, and now his greatest desire was to have a fight with Akihara Kagura; his art had long since transformed!
"This is no suicide mission!"
Holding up his clay artwork, Deidara's face was full of pride: "With this technique, I can kill that Akihara Kagura!"
"..."
Uchiha Itachi shot Deidara a puzzled glance.
Why could this guy, who was defeated by his Genjutsu in a glance, still boast that he could defeat Akihara Kagura?
"Ahem, ahem..."
Konan cleared her throat with a fist over her mouth, interrupting Deidara's words: "Alright, there's no rush regarding Akihara Kagura. If you want to fight Akihara Kagura in the future, there might be plenty of opportunities. For now, we're discussing the mission to hunt down Danzo..."
"Indeed."
Deva Path Pain promptly shifted the topic.
"Then let's move quickly."
Kakuzu, the most interested in this matter, said in a low voice: "We need to find that Danzo guy quickly; his corpse is worth at least half a year's income for us..."
Land of Rice Fields.
A small eatery.
Shimura Danzo was still unaware that a group of S-Class Traitorous Ninjas from the Akatsuki had their eyes on him. After being enlightened by Akihara Kagura, this old man could finally eat again.
"Let's eat first."
"Food is essential."
Akihara Kagura proactively ordered extra rice for Shimura Danzo, advising him: "While training with Jiraiya-sensei, I met an S-Class Traitorous Ninja from the Hidden Waterfall Village, and I heard that the S-Class Traitorous Ninja was almost ninety years old..."
"Hurry up and eat."
Shimura Danzo couldn't help glaring at Akihara Kagura while mentioning their next destination: "After we finish eating, we'll head to the Hidden Sound Village."
The Hidden Sound Village.
A new Ninja Village that appeared in the Land of Rice Fields.
Orochimaru, through bribing the Daimyo of the Land of Rice Fields, was permitted to establish his own Hidden Sound Village, using the Ninja Village as a cover to recruit talents recklessly.
Akihara Kagura had long foreseen how many would come to hunt Shimura Danzo in the Ninja World, so he brought Shimura Danzo to the Hidden Sound Village.
On one hand, it was to have a good chat with Orochimaru, and on the other, it was to hope that Orochimaru could help Shimura Danzo live a little longer, lest Shimura Danzo be inexplicably killed.
When Akihara Kagura and Shimura Danzo arrived at the Hidden Sound Village, they were stopped by a group of strangely shaped youngsters who seemed to be not easy to provoke.
Some of these kids had six arms, some were chubby, and some even had two upper bodies. The most normal-looking one was a little girl with red hair.
"Where's Orochimaru!"
Shimura Danzo looked at this bizarre group and gave an order as if he wasn't a traitorous ninja but still a high-ranking member of Konoha.
Shimura Danzo indeed held that authority.
With someone like Akihara Kagura by his side, anyone could speak with superiority to others.
Clearly.
The youngsters from the Hidden Sound Village didn't give their respect.
"Ha?"
A youth with six arms looked mockingly at Shimura Danzo and Akihara Kagura: "Who do you think you are, daring to disturb Lord Orochimaru?"
"Shut up, Kidomaru!"
Thankfully, a cold-looking youth with white hair and emerald green pupils stepped forward to stop them, willingly welcoming Akihara Kagura and Shimura Danzo.
With the white-haired youth's intervention, the group of children immediately quieted down, quickly dispersing, and spying on everything from afar.
"Lord Orochimaru already knows you are here."
The pale-faced white-haired youth, standing at the gates of the Hidden Sound Village, seemed as if he was suffering from a severe illness: "Please follow me. Lord Orochimaru is waiting for you."
Compared to those other oddly-shaped youths, the white-haired youth appeared more normal and courteous.
The white-haired youth was named Kaguya Kimimaro.
Kaguya Kimimaro hailed from the Kaguya Clan. Because too many of the Grass Ninja Village's ninjas were killed due to their misdeeds, the Kaguya Clan took the opportunity to wipe them out and occupy the Land of Grass. However, despite their fighting strength, the clan had no idea how to develop a Ninja Village.