The familiar gates of Konoha—this was Deidara's first time seeing them in person.
At the gates, the eternal guards, Izumo and Kotetsu, sat yawning. These two were as much a mystery as the legendary Ichiraku Ramen or the enigmatic Konoha genin.
"Kotetsu, take a look."
"Is that the daimyo's envoy?" Izumo glanced at the group approaching through the morning mist. The visibility was poor, making it hard to discern details.
"It must be! There's only been one large-scale movement reported recently, and that's them." Kotetsu immediately perked up. Although he looked down on these weak and powerless nobles, they were still the financial backers. The Hokage had specifically instructed them to ensure no disrespect was shown.
Soon, Koharu Utatane, Shikaku Nara, and a group of accompanying Konoha shinobi arrived to greet the delegation.
"We didn't expect you to arrive today. Please forgive us for any lack of preparation," Koharu said, her face showing a hint of apology. As Konoha's de facto foreign minister, she was usually in charge of receiving outside delegations.
"Not at all. It's our fault for arriving ahead of schedule. We didn't stick to the agreed time, so the blame lies with us," Orochimaru, disguised as a member of the envoy, replied.
The Stolen Face Copy Technique was indeed impressive, but Orochimaru's unique aura was hard to conceal. Fortunately, many nobles exuded a similarly effeminate demeanor, so the Konoha shinobi didn't suspect anything.
"Please, follow me. We've prepared accommodations for you in Konoha, and tonight I'll personally host a banquet to welcome you," Koharu said, leading the group into the village.
Although no official order was given to clear the streets, most villagers instinctively avoided the group, recognizing them as important figures. After all, no one wanted to appear... tactless.
Deidara thought this to himself, but he clearly overlooked one individual.
From around a corner, a small child in a yellow T-shirt and shorts, with six whisker-like marks on his face, came bounding out.
In one hand, he held a paint bucket, and in the other, a brush. As he ran, colorful paint splattered everywhere.
"Naruto! Stop right there!" A young man with a long horizontal scar across his nose came chasing after him, shouting angrily.
"No way!" the boy yelled back, continuing to run.
The surrounding pedestrians quickly stepped aside, their faces showing expressions of annoyance. It was unclear whether their disdain was directed at the paint or at the boy himself.
Under normal circumstances, the boy might have been able to run a bit further, but with the daimyo's envoy present, there was no way he would be allowed to cause trouble.
A jōnin following at the rear of the group stepped forward, grabbed the boy by his collar, and threw him roughly in front of the scarred young man.
"Iruka, control him properly. Otherwise, I'll have the ANBU deal with him," Koharu snapped coldly.
"Yes! Yes! I'm sorry, Lady Koharu! Naruto is still young and doesn't understand. Please don't hold it against him!" Iruka pleaded on the boy's behalf.
"Let's move on," Koharu said dismissively.
"Lady Koharu, who is that?" Orochimaru, still disguised as an envoy, licked his lips and asked, feigning ignorance.
"How embarrassing," Koharu replied. "That's the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki. He's always been unruly—a child that everyone despises."
Koharu made no effort to hide the truth. After all, Naruto's identity as the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki was common knowledge in the village, so there was no need for secrecy.
This, of course, was thanks to Danzo Shimura. Originally, Hiruzen Sarutobi and others had agreed that keeping the Jinchūriki's identity hidden would be best. But Danzo insisted on making it public, hoping to draw out Naruto's darkness.
As long as Naruto showed even the slightest sign of darkness or extremism, Danzo would have an excuse to take him into ROOT, placing the Nine-Tails under his control.
"By the way, I heard there's a surviving orphan from the Uchiha massacre. How is that child doing?" Orochimaru asked, feigning curiosity.
"He's been deeply affected, of course. After all, he's just a child," Koharu replied curtly, clearly unwilling to discuss Sasuke further.
Seeing that he couldn't extract more information, Orochimaru shifted the conversation to more casual topics, engaging Koharu in polite small talk.
The group was eventually escorted to a luxurious inn, which had stopped accepting guests several days prior in preparation for the envoy's arrival.
At least ten ANBU members were stationed around the perimeter to ensure the delegation's safety. Of course, there were likely more, but Deidara's sensory abilities were notoriously poor.
After settling in, Deidara, noticing that it was still early, expressed a desire to explore the village.
"I'm coming too!" Hidan immediately chimed in.
"No way!" Kakuzu interjected. "You'll definitely cause trouble if you go out!"
"Brother Sasori, are you coming?" Deidara asked.
"Not interested," Sasori replied flatly. The boredom of waiting, coupled with being unable to pass the time by crafting puppets, was pure torture for him. But no matter how bored he was, he had no interest in wandering around. After all, he was just a homebody who loved collecting figurines.
"Alright then, I'll go by myself!"
As Deidara approached the inn's entrance, a Konoha shinobi guard stepped forward. "Sir, is there something you need?"
"Nothing much. I just want to take a stroll around Konoha. As a ninja village, I imagine it must have a unique charm compared to the capital."
"Of course!" The Konoha shinobi puffed out his chest with pride.
"Would you like us to arrange a guide for you?"
Deidara initially thought about declining, but then reconsidered. As an envoy, having a guide to cater to him and feel like a leader wasn't a bad idea. Besides, even without a guide, there were places he wouldn't be allowed to go anyway.
"That would be great," Deidara replied. "Oh, and I'd prefer the guide to be a cute girl, if possible." He flashed a knowing smile.
"Haha!" The Konoha shinobi let out an awkward laugh, unsure of how far this envoy intended to take things. If it went too far and caused backlash, it would be a disaster.
"I'll report this immediately and arrange for a guide to accompany you."
Elsewhere, Koharu received the guard's report and sighed in exasperation.
This wasn't the first time something like this had happened. In the adult world, such transactions were not uncommon.
However, in her opinion, this particular envoy wasn't even the delegation's representative and didn't deserve such treatment. Still, outright refusal would be too disrespectful.
"Send Anko," she decided.
Anko Mitarashi, with her outgoing personality and fiery temper, was perfect for this situation. No matter what happened, she wouldn't come out on the losing end.
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