"Lords… Lords!" Kiyoto stammered, his tongue practically tied in knots at the sight of Deidara and Sasori.
(T/N: They refer to when Deidara came to Matsuzaka City and tried to kill Zoey, but he escaped and brought the Konoha ninja with him)
"I believe your name is Shimura Kiyoto, right?" Deidara asked with a smirk.
"Yes! That's me!" Kiyoto nodded hurriedly, like an overly obedient student, barely daring to breathe.
"Kiyoto, I thought we were friends. And yet, you didn't even bother to inform us about Konoha's ambush. Seems like you're not afraid to die, huh?" Deidara's tone suddenly turned menacing, his gaze sharp as a blade.
"Please, you've got it all wrong!" Kiyoto's face was full of panic as he frantically explained, "This mission was top-secret. Nobody knew the objective before we set out."
"Besides, we were surrounded by our own forces during the march. I had no way to send you any intel!" He spoke quickly, afraid Sasori might use his Puppet Brain Control to kill him on the spot.
Deidara considered Kiyoto's explanation, finding it half-true. It was plausible he couldn't send a message, but Deidara suspected a part of Kiyoto wouldn't have minded if they died—removing the threat hanging over his head.
Still, it made sense why Hyuga Kazuto and Rin's team hadn't sent updates. Konoha was being cautious, after all. Deidara wasn't particularly interested in pressing the issue. Kiyoto still had his uses. His earlier hostility was just to rattle him.
"Well then, my bad, my friend from Konoha." Deidara's grin widened, but the warmth in his voice sent shivers down Kiyoto's spine.
"N-no problem…"
"As a token of friendship, I have a great reward for you!" Deidara declared with mock enthusiasm.
"A… great reward?" Kiyoto asked hesitantly, his confusion evident.
"Exactly! All you have to do is this, this, and that." Deidara leaned in and whispered something in Kiyoto's ear.
"No! Absolutely not!" Kiyoto recoiled, horrified at the suggestion. Despite his fear, he still clung to a shred of loyalty to Konoha.
"What's the big deal, my friend? It's all for Konoha!" Deidara countered, his voice a mix of persuasion and threat. "Agree to this, and those Konoha shinobi over there can return alive. You'll even become a hero for saving them. Isn't that a good thing?"
Hero?
The word lingered in Kiyoto's mind. He imagined the respect and admiration of his peers, the honors, and the responsibilities bestowed upon him for his bravery. His blood surged with excitement, and the last of his resistance melted away.
"You're right! This is for Konoha!"
In an open clearing, dozens of Konoha ninja—elite members of the ANBU and Root—were bound tightly with ropes. If they all perished here, Konoha's losses would grow exponentially.
Deidara pushed Kiyoto forward as they approached.
"Your comrade has already surrendered. I suggest the rest of you do the same," Deidara announced, his tone dripping with mockery. "Give in, and while I won't free you, I can at least guarantee your lives."
The Konoha shinobi glared at him with unbridled anger. One of the jonin spat on the ground.
"Kiyoto! You coward! You disgrace the title of a Konoha shinobi!"
"Hmph!" Deidara, feigning annoyance, handed a kunai to Kiyoto. "Fine, prove your loyalty. Kill him."
Kiyoto took the kunai with trembling hands, frozen in place as an internal struggle played out on his face.
"Come on! Kill me, you traitor!" the jonin shouted defiantly. "I, Kamikawa Ryo, would rather die than surrender!"
More Konoha shinobi chimed in, hurling insults and challenges at Kiyoto.
With a desperate yell, Kiyoto spun around and thrust the kunai toward Deidara. Unsurprisingly, Deidara sidestepped the attack effortlessly and kicked Kiyoto to the ground.
"Oh? Weren't you afraid of dying just a moment ago?" Deidara sneered. "What changed?"
"Hmph!" Kiyoto stood up, his expression resolute. "Everything I said earlier was just to deceive you!"
"I wanted to find an opening to kill you, but unfortunately, I failed." He sighed regretfully, showing no fear of death—his demeanor a stark contrast to his earlier cowardice.
"Oh? So there's another reason?" Deidara feigned curiosity.
"Of course!" Kiyoto declared passionately. "I had to face my comrades."
Raising his voice, he shouted, "My comrades of Konoha! Never bow to these devils! Never betray our beloved village! Never sully the Will of Fire!"
"But you'll all die," Deidara warned.
"So what? Death means nothing! Konoha has no cowardly shinobi!" Kiyoto's fervor was contagious, and even those who had cursed him moments ago began to reconsider.
"Death means nothing! Konoha has no cowards!" The other shinobi echoed his words, their spirits ignited.
Deidara, "shaken" by their fiery resolve, staggered back with an exaggerated expression of fear.
"This… this is all a misunderstanding! You're free to go. Just explain to the Third Hokage and Shimura Danzo that this was a mistake!"
"Hmph! Punishment for your insolence will be decided by them!" Kiyoto declared imperiously, brushing off Deidara's trembling hand.
The Konoha shinobi, heads held high, marched off like victorious heroes, leaving Deidara behind with his group.
"Deidara, that performance was Oscar-worthy," Suigetsu teased.
"You should consider a career in acting," added Sasori with a smirk.
"Are you sure letting them go is better than killing them?" Konan asked, her voice still sharp with hatred for Konoha.
"Watch and see," Deidara replied, a sly grin forming. "To destroy a force, internal chaos is far more effective than external attacks."
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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