The Fourth Great Ninja War began in the most unexpected way—when Deidara decided to drop a clay bomb right into Onoki's room.
At that time, the Third Tsuchikage was sleeping soundly in the Land of Iron. Without warning, Deidara swooped overhead on his giant clay bird and released an explosive that landed directly where Onoki rested.
"Hmm!" Deidara shouted, just as the bomb detonated.
The room collapsed instantly, burying the Tsuchikage beneath stone and dust. Fortunately, Onoki was no ordinary man. Other than being startled, he was unharmed. Bursting from the rubble, the old Kage glared upward and nearly fainted from rage when he spotted his former student riding high in the sky.
"Deidara, you ungrateful brat!" Onoki roared. "You dare try to kill your own master!?"
Deidara froze midair, equally shocked. He hadn't actually planned to blow up Onoki—his intention was only to cause chaos for the Allied Shinobi Forces. But since the explosion had already landed on his former teacher, he stiffened his neck and shouted back with defiance.
"Hmph! Old man, I just came to tell you—the war has begun! With your frail old bones, you should hurry back and rest... yeah!"
Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi arrived quickly, having sensed the blast. The moment Kurotsuchi looked up and spotted Deidara, her eyes widened with both surprise and delight.
"Deidara-nii! Long time no see!" she called.
Deidara's expression softened. he showed a faint smile.
"Yo, Kurotsuchi! Been a while!"
Onoki's forehead veins bulged. Without another word, he activated the Light-Weight Rock Technique and shot into the air. His right arm hardened with stone as he prepared his Rock Fist.
Deidara knew just how dangerous his master could be. He immediately tossed a series of small clay bombs while pulling his bird back to retreat. But Onoki was far from a frail old man. With practiced agility, he weaved through the explosions and caught up, slamming his stone-covered fist into Deidara.
"Ungrateful disciple! Stay put!"
Bang!
Deidara burst apart in an explosion of clay. As the smoke cleared, Onoki hovered in the air, face dark with irritation.
"Tch, this brat..." he muttered, realizing he had struck only a clay clone. The real Deidara was already long gone.
Landing back on the ground, Onoki was immediately greeted by his two subordinates. Covered in dust, he found himself the subject of Black Earth's mischievous grin.
"Master, you got fooled by Deidara-nii, hahaha!"
Onoki's cheeks flushed red. He coughed twice, trying to mask his embarrassment.
"That brat has grown cunning. Next time, he won't escape so easily."
At that moment, Mei Terumi and several other shinobi arrived. After greetings were exchanged, Onoki turned to her.
"Where's the Hokage?"
Mei responded casually, "I went to find him earlier. He said this was Iwagakure's internal affair, and you should resolve it yourself."
The men around them glanced at her strangely. In the middle of the night, why would the Mizukage go find the Hokage? Mei ignored their stares and continued with a calm tone.
"I only wanted to discuss the war. When I heard the commotion, I rushed here immediately."
Still, Kurotsuchi couldn't resist muttering under her breath, "Sure... Why didn't you go during the day? Had to be at night?"
Although quiet, everyone present was a seasoned shinobi and heard her clearly. Mei glared daggers at Kurotsuchi, who defiantly lifted her chin to meet the Mizukage's gaze.
On a rooftop nearby, Chiga stood with his arms crossed, watching the scene unfold. Next to him, Minato smirked.
"Chiga, those two women look like they're about to fight. Aren't you going to step in?"
Chiga didn't bother looking at him. "What? Interested in one of them? Should I ask Kushina to find you a match?"
"Hey, don't say it like that... You're joking, right?"
Rolling his eyes, Chiga turned his attention skyward. "Compared to those two, I'm more interested in Deidara."
Minato's face twisted in surprise. "Nani!? Don't tell me, Chiga—"
Bang!
Minato crouched down, clutching his head as smoke rose from Chiga's finger.
"Don't be stupid," Chiga said irritably. "I just find the Akatsuki fascinating. It's a waste to kill them outright."
Minato groaned. "Is that why you gave Hidan to Orochimaru!?"
If anyone in Akatsuki could be called unlucky, it was Hidan. His arrogance left him respecting no one but his god, Jashin. For that reason, Chiga had simply tossed him into Orochimaru's hands. Now Hidan suffered endless torment—half agony, half twisted pleasure. Who knew if his faith still held?
As Chiga observed the gathering below, several crows swooped down and merged into the figure of Itachi Uchiha.
"Chiga-sama," Itachi said respectfully, glancing briefly at Minato still crouching. "I've scouted the area. Aside from Deidara, no other Akatsuki have appeared."
Chiga's stern expression softened. "Itachi, relax. If more show up, I'll know before you do."
"Still, Chiga-sama, I believe you should rest. You're too important to us."
"Alright, alright. Go back to Sasuke. No one else will come tonight."
"Yes."
Itachi bowed, dissolved into crows, and vanished into the night.
Watching him leave, Minato sighed. "Itachi really is a good kid."
"You're not much older than him now," Chiga replied dryly. "Isn't it weird calling him that?"
"Uh..."
Minato froze. He had forgotten that in this current body, he was only twenty-four. He wasn't much older than Naruto, let alone Itachi. Standing beside his son, one might mistake them for brothers.
Thinking about it, Minato muttered with a hint of pride, "What can I say, I just look too young."
Chiga raised an eyebrow. "Want to look older? That's simple."
Before Minato could react, Chiga's Rinnegan flared. A gray vortex enveloped Minato, and in seconds, wrinkles etched across his face. His youthful features aged rapidly, transforming him into a middle-aged man.
Touching his cheek in shock, Minato gasped, "Chiga! What did you do to me!?"
____
Milestone,
100 Power stones = 1 Bonus Chapter