Chapter 49: Deidara
The chakra contained within the meteorite was immense compared to ordinary people, but for Kaguya, it was still quite lacking. After all, at the end of the day, it was just a rock containing chakra. How much chakra could it really have?
However, even a small amount is better than nothing. And this meteorite wasn't just a small piece, at least it was more like a drumstick, a decent dish to go with a meal.
"Stop!"
At that moment, a familiar voice came from behind, accompanied by the sound of hurried footsteps, chasing after her.
Kaguya did not stop walking, nor did she look back. Instead, she quickened her pace, moving through the forest like a flash of lightning.
Four ninjas, wearing Leaf Village headbands, were chasing after her. They were Naruto, Neji, Tenten, and Rock Lee. They had come to the Star Village to perform the mission of guarding the star.
"Wait, Kaguya!" Naruto and the others kept chasing her, not giving up at all.
Kaguya raised an eyebrow, tapped her toes lightly, and activated her repulsive force, controlling gravity to fly into the sky, heading towards the horizon.
The four on the ground couldn't possibly match Kaguya's speed in the sky. Gradually, Kaguya's figure became smaller and smaller until it finally disappeared.
"Damn it," Naruto said, hands on his knees, bending over and panting heavily.
"Was that Kaguya just now?" Tenten asked curiously. "Could we have seen wrong?"
"No mistake," Neji said softly, looking towards the horizon.
"Why did she run away?" Rock Lee asked, sitting on the ground.
"As a rogue ninja of the Konoha Village, who also killed the Third Hokage, of course she would run away," Tenten said, wiping the sweat from her forehead.
"That's not true!" Naruto suddenly stood up straight and shouted, "Kaguya-chan couldn't possibly have killed the Third Hokage. She's not that kind of person."
"Are you still so stubborn?" Neji sighed.
"I don't believe Kaguya is that kind of person either," Rock Lee added.
"I think you're all just bewitched by her," Tenten said, unable to contain her sarcasm. "A pretty girl isn't necessarily a good person."
"No, Kaguya-chan is different," Naruto said, a bit dazed, as he recalled her image and voice.
Kaguya didn't want to see them, at least not now. It wasn't the right time to meet them. No doubt, Danzo had already labeled her a rogue ninja and blamed her for the Third Hokage's death. Meeting them would just lead to useless arguments and waste time.
And now that Kaguya was part of the "Akatsuki," there was no way to explain clearly. It would only get more complicated. So rather than explaining, which wouldn't help anyway, it was better to not explain at all.
At that moment, a mental wave reached Kaguya's mind. It was a signal from the "Akatsuki."
Kaguya closed her eyes and immersed herself in the experience. When she opened her eyes again, she was in a black cave. In front of her were many black shadows, indistinct and vague, mere projections rather than physical entities. It was much like a video conference in her original world.
"Kaguya, why did you act alone?" Nagato asked calmly. "You know the rules of the Akatsuki: missions must be undertaken by teams of two."
"Sorry," Kaguya replied calmly, "I just thought it would be more convenient to complete the mission this way."
"And did you complete the mission?" Nagato asked.
"No," Kaguya shrugged, "The meteorite was destroyed by Hoshikage."
"Is that so?" Nagato glanced at Kaguya. "Well, there's another mission for you now."
"Alright." Kaguya nodded.
"You're near Iwagakure, and there is a young man in their explosion team with impressive abilities. You are to capture him," Nagato said. "His name is Deidara."
Deidara? Isn't he that comical guy? Kaguya was a bit taken aback.
"Is there a problem?" Nagato stared at Kaguya.
"No," Kaguya shook her head.
"If that's the case, then set off immediately," Nagato said flatly. "This is also to make up for your previous mission failure. I hope you won't fail again."
Kaguya opened her eyes, suddenly realizing that Nagato hadn't assigned her a partner. This suited her just fine, as having someone around always made her feel uncomfortable.
Deidara was the apprentice of the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki. At the age of nine, he had to leave the village because he frequently caused terror incidents. Now, the leader of the Akatsuki, Nagato, had taken an interest in his abilities and wanted to recruit him into the organization.
In the original story, Deidara was recruited into the Akatsuki shortly after Uchiha Itachi joined. But now it seemed there was a deviation; Deidara had not yet joined the Akatsuki and was still in the Land of Earth.
Kaguya's current mission was to find this guy.
The Land of Earth was located in the northwest of the continent, mostly barren rock walls. The country's rocks seemed to form along the national border, thus hindering the Land of Earth's traffic with other countries. Additionally, the wind blowing from the north crosses the mountains and brings fine rock particles into other countries, a well-known natural phenomenon called "Rock Rain."
If the Land of Wind was an endless desert, the Land of Earth was more like a land of piled rocks. However, both countries shared a common feature: they were desolate, with almost no vegetation and few tall trees. The Land of Wind experienced constant gales, and the Land of Earth was similarly windy, with the wind whistling through layers of rock walls.
Kaguya reached into her bosom and took out a scroll, opening it to take a look. This scroll recorded information about Deidara and his possible locations.
After putting away the scroll and preparing to go to the next location, she suddenly heard a violent explosion in the distance, with faintly visible flames shooting into the sky.
Kaguya smiled slightly. She had found him.