Chapter 84: The Feeling of Dust Release
Chapter 84: The Feeling of Dust Release
"So... you're telling me you brought back Ōnoki's disciple?"
In the Hokage office in Konoha, Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the disheveled Kakashi, the carefree Jiraiya, and the visibly exasperated Kitagawa Gen. He couldn't help but rub his temples.
This mission had indeed been urgent, and he had mentally prepared for the worst.
Especially since it took place in the Land of Earth—Ōnoki's home turf. All he had hoped for was that they wouldn't stir up too much trouble and could return with some useful intel.
For the past month, he had been anxiously waiting, even pestering Danzo occasionally for any updates. But to no avail.
What he never expected, though, was to receive this bombshell just days ago:
> "A massive explosion occurred near the Iwagakure border. Suspected involvement of Third Tsuchikage Ōnoki. Area now sealed off."
When he saw this, Hiruzen was shocked.
Had Gen and the others been caught? Or worse, clashed with that mysterious organization and drawn out Ōnoki himself?
Days passed with no news—until they finally returned. Only now, they'd brought an extra person with them.
"This one's not on us," Jiraiya said, scratching his head, clearly frustrated. "That brat insisted on tagging along. Said he shared the same 'artistic vision' as Gen, and nothing we did could shake him."
"Strange kid," he muttered. "But I'll admit, his jutsu is unique. He flew us all the way back here... saved a ton of time."
As he spoke, both Jiraiya and Gen turned to look at Kakashi simultaneously—prompting Kakashi to widen his eyes in protest.
"Wait—I can explai—"
"Enough," Hiruzen interrupted with a glance at Kakashi, nodding in understanding.
Judging by Kakashi's state, he was heading back to the hospital again. This couldn't continue forever. Hiruzen was already seriously considering calling Tsunade back to help manage his condition.
"That aside," Hiruzen continued, shaking his head, "the mission was a success. You've brought back valuable intel."
He straightened his expression.
"That organization doesn't just have Uchiha Obito, Uchiha Itachi, and Kisame. There's also a mysterious bounty hunter, and a religious fanatic named Hidan. On top of that, someone among them managed to kill the Third Kazekage, and even withstood Ōnoki's Dust Release... that's terrifying."
"It's definitely no ordinary group," Jiraiya added grimly.
"With so many dangerous individuals gathered together—and considering Obito once talked about 'changing the world'—I fear they're plotting something far greater."
"They're too dangerous," Hiruzen agreed, frowning deeply.
This wouldn't be easy to deal with.
They couldn't underestimate the threat. With individuals that strong and elusive, trying to track them down was like chasing ghosts.
And if they scattered to attack multiple locations?
Even the strongest villages would struggle to cope—especially when two of them had Mangekyō Sharingan. One well-placed genjutsu and entire squads could be compromised. The Mist Village massacre might not be the last...
"Inform Sunagakure," Hiruzen instructed, biting on his pipe. "Tell them we may have identified the person who killed the Third Kazekage."
"And regarding the message we received from Ōnoki... it seems like he's testing the waters. I think we should engage. Thoughts?"
"You've already made your decision, haven't you, old man?" Jiraiya muttered under his breath.
"Ōnoki's student is in our custody. If we don't engage, what are we going to do—kill the kid?"
"Well, technically, that is an option," Gen suddenly chimed in.
"That kid's unstable—and has quite a few disturbing missions under his belt. Killing him could just make everything... disappear."
"Absolutely not!"
Before he could finish, Jiraiya, Kakashi, and Hiruzen all shouted at once, eyes wide as they stared at Gen.
"That kid cannot die!" Jiraiya stressed. "Gen, don't even think about it. He could be the bridge we need to communicate with Ōnoki. You understand?"
"I was just joking," Gen shrugged. Of course he knew Deidara's value. He'd only been playing along with Jiraiya's teasing.
Besides, that loud blond brat was... kind of entertaining.
"Gen, you can go for now. Since Deidara followed you here, you're responsible for watching him," Hiruzen said, rubbing his temples again.
"And for the record—I know you were joking. But don't make that kind of joke again. Don't learn from Jiraiya. Be mindful of your words and actions."
"...Sure."
Gen gave him a strange look and nodded.
"I understand. I'll take my leave, then."
"Go on."
Hiruzen forced a smile. Once the door closed behind Gen, he waited a few moments—then slammed his hand on the desk.
"Jiraiya! Kakashi! You've both completely failed in your duties as mentors!"
"..."
"Didn't I just say last time to focus on proper education and responsibility? What have you two done since then?!"
"..."
Jiraiya dug at his ear while Kakashi looked utterly embarrassed. There was no good excuse here.
What could he say? That Jiraiya had left a massive impression on Gen?
"I'll try harder," Kakashi said with a bow.
"Fine, I'll help guide the kid as much as I can," Jiraiya said lazily, waving his hand.
"Oh, right—there's another piece of intel I should probably tell you," Jiraiya suddenly added. "But this one... let's keep it quiet for now."
"Oh?" Hiruzen raised an eyebrow. Seeing the seriousness in Jiraiya's expression, he knew it was no small matter.
"Go on. What is it?"
"I didn't want to bring it up in front of Gen. It's... too cruel. Though he'll find out eventually."
Jiraiya sighed.
"You remember that intel from the Fourth Mizukage, about the two mysterious figures?"
"The ones described as an orange-haired man and a blue-haired woman?"
"Yeah. If I'm not mistaken... they may be my former students."
---
Outside the Hokage Tower...
Sitting on a stone bench by the street, Deidara had been scribbling nonsense into the dirt with a stick.
When he saw Gen emerge, his eyes lit up immediately.
"You're finally out!"
He tossed the stick aside and ran over.
"How was that, huh? My clay was awesome, right? Flew us all the way back—super efficient! And hey, hey—tell me about your art!"
"..."
Gen stared at this newly acquired yellow-haired menace, and his expression twitched uncontrollably.
"Did I just stir up a hornet's nest of blondes?"
Kitagawa Gen couldn't help but question his luck. First, a blonde moved in next door, and now another one popped up while he was out on a mission.
"So now, after the White Fang and the Yellow Flash, we've added an 'Art Resonator' to the list?"
He was perplexed. He clearly saw himself as a practitioner of endurance and persistence—how did he end up lumped into the same category as a "flash" user?
"The beauty of Flying Thunder God lies in solving all problems in a single instant," he explained, albeit a bit speechlessly.
"Like an explosion. One moment that becomes eternal—or rather, my 'instant' becomes your 'eternity.'"
"Yes, yes! It's different, but it really aligns with my artistic philosophy!"
Deidara nodded eagerly, clearly thrilled.
"I love explosions the most! Explosion is art! Because that one moment of detonation is the truest expression of my artistic soul!"
"Right, right…"
Kitagawa Gen nodded half-heartedly, offering a perfunctory response.
This guy's obsession with "art" was seriously intense. He'd turned down a future as Tsuchikage just to chase this twisted vision of artistry. He had all the makings of a winner in life—and still managed to blow himself to bits.
But credit where it's due: Deidara had followed his "art" to the very end.
"Hey, hey, hey! Wanna have a little match?"
Suddenly, Deidara lit up again with manic energy.
"We need to test each other's artistic expressions! Come on, how about it?"
"Not happening. I've got way better things to do right now."
Kitagawa Gen shook his head without hesitation. There was no way he was going to spar with Deidara in the middle of Konoha. Maybe in Iwagakure, sure—but not here.
"Let's go. I'll treat you to some food first. Lord Hokage is arranging to contact your teacher. You'll be heading home soon."
"What? Go back? For what?!"
Deidara instantly resisted.
"That old man is such a pain. He never acknowledges my art! Ugh, seriously—hey, say something!"
Kitagawa Gen pretended not to hear him. He was starting to realize that Deidara was quite the chatterbox.
Still, the mention of Ōnoki brought his thoughts back to their mission—specifically, that terrifying moment when the Dust Release beam descended from the sky.
"That feeling… it wasn't something ordinary."
He silently recalled the sheer destructive force of the technique. The Magnet Release defense built from the Third Kazekage by Sasori didn't even put up a fight. It was pierced clean through—instantly.
The raw power reminded him of the original series, where Ōnoki had used Dust Release to obliterate Madara Uchiha's Deep Forest Emergence, even sweeping away twenty-five fully armored "Uchiha clones" with Susanoo.
That kind of power was frankly ridiculous.
"It's a shame, though… I didn't manage to fully grasp the structure of that technique."
The attack had come and gone in a flash, and Kitagawa Gen had dodged faster than anyone. But because of that, he hadn't been able to analyze it in depth.
"Still, just because I didn't see it clearly doesn't mean I can't try something of my own…"
His eyes drifted to the still-babbling Deidara.
"Earth Style, Fire Style, and Wind Style—blended perfectly… I at least got a sense of the ratio. So…"
He thought about Deidara's explosive clay. Honestly, he still wasn't sure if it was a secret technique or a kekkei genkai. But it was undoubtedly a combination of Earth and Fire styles. There might be inspiration there.
And since Deidara claimed their artistic visions were aligned…
"Alright, that's enough."
Kitagawa Gen cut him off mid-ramble—even though he hadn't caught half of what Deidara was saying.
"Tell me something—have you ever considered this?"
"Huh? Considered what?"
"That old man you're always complaining about—doesn't his Dust Release align with your artistic ideals?"
"What? No way, he—"
"Think about it: a flash of white light descending from the sky, obliterating everything in an instant. A single moment of overwhelming destruction that silences all. Isn't that the exact embodiment of our 'art'?"
"Uhh…"
Deidara was stunned. He was ready to argue—but the image of that technique came back to him. And just like that, he fell silent.
It… kind of made sense?
"Don't focus on what he thinks—focus on what jutsu he uses. That's the key."
Seeing Deidara falter, Kitagawa Gen pressed on with a smile.
"And if I remember correctly, you lost to Uchiha Itachi. But if you had a jutsu like that, you could've blasted him from afar and made him truly 'feel' your art."
"That… might be true…"
"Exactly. So, study hard. Once you master it, then we can have a real match. Otherwise, if I blink and put a blade to your throat, what's the point? You're not going to self-destruct just to prove a point, are you?"
"...Yeah, I guess you're right…"
Deidara nodded slowly. Whether he was thinking about proving his art—or secretly plotting how to learn Dust Release—no one could say for sure.