Smoke from the Kumo's burning chakra ore mines drifted across, painting the sky above the borderlands between the Land of Rice Fields and the Land of Hot Water in hues of gray. The combined assault by the Konoha-Iwa union had been brutally methodical, and devastatingly effective but Kumo stood their ground with their variety of clan's technique however their decade-long chakra ore mines were reduced to rubble in a matter of days. Yet, as the main army pressed the advantage on the front lines, a single giant clay bird glided silently high above the clouds, slipping past the Kumo's vanguard.
Riding the creature were Iwa's two rising prodigies, though their dynamic was far from harmonious. "Stay sharp," Muu murmured, his eyes scanning the Kumo ranks far below. "That money-grubber is still trailing us. We aren't out of the woods yet."
Deidara threw his head back and laughed, as the sound came muffled carried by the rushing wind. "Who cares about some random rogue-nin? He'll never catch us up here! Tell you what... call me senpai, and I might just decide to protect you."
Muu ignored the taunt, as Deidara dug his legs into the clay bird as he adjusted his chakra flow. "Since the old man handed down that forbidden scroll, I've been refining a new technique. My control has grown leaps and bounds. Just watch... I'll demonstrate real power on these Kumo fodder."
"Do whatever you want, just don't lose sight of the objective," Muu added sharply, though his tone slipped a familiar exhaustion as he knew Deidara would not bother listening to him. "Our mission is to obliterate their supply depot at the rear, not pick unnecessary fights and waste chakra."
Deidara wasn't listening. A wild glint flashed in his eyes as he thrust his hands deep into his pouch. On both his palms, the unnatural toothy mouths chewed greedily on the soft white clay, molding chakra into the material before spitting it out into tiny delicate creatures.
"C1: Insects," Deidara whispered, with a grin spread across his face.
From his palms, a swarm of several hundred white clay mosquitoes took flight. They buzzed forward in a subtle scattered formation, locking onto an isolated Kumo patrol unit stationed on a nearby thick tree. Below, an experienced Jounin immediately sensed something amiss, his eyes narrowing at the unnaturally white insects drifting toward them.
Deidara knew the risks, if lightning-style chakra so much as grazed his clay, the charges would douse his technique rendering his art useless. Working his fingers like a puppeteer, he split the swarm. Most of the clay mosquitoes formed a noisy distraction around the confused Jounin, drawing his attention, while another small cluster darted around the flanks, settling silently onto the faces of three Chunin guarding the perimeter.
"Lightni—" one Chunin began, his hand raised to weave a sign.
He was too late. Deidara snapped his fingers. "Katsu!"
A series of sharp localized pops echoed through the trees as the tiny creations detonated right against the Chunin's heads. The sheer blast power was minor compared to his larger sculpts, but targeted at point-blank range against vital organs... the eyes, ears, and nasal passages... the effect was horrific. Face flesh tore, eyeballs shattered as Deidara heard the agonizing screams from behind. None of the three died, but all were instantly neutralized, writhing on the forest floor in agony.
"You call that art?" Muu asked raising an eyebrow.
Deidara scowled, crossing his arms defensively. "Don't act so high and mighty, smarty-pants! It was supposed to be a dazzling display... flashy, brief, beautiful! Though... I suppose the blood spatters gave it a nice aesthetic touch."
"Yeah, yeah... right. Pure brilliance," Muu rolled his eyes.
Despite his defensive posturing, Deidara noted the flaw of his C1 insects... they lacked the destructive punch of his larger birds, centipedes, or dragonflies. They were useful for harassment, but they weren't grand enough to capture true art.
"And another thing," Muu warned, his voice dropping into a stern tone. "Stop targeting random shinobi. I had to waste half an hour erasing our tracks after you murdered that Aburame Chunin just to collect his insects and study his bug control."
Deidara's head snapped toward him as his temper flared. "Oh, now you want to complain about cleanup? What about when I was holding off an entire squad so you could rip out and consume that Kumo shinobi's lightning heart?"
Muu clicked his tongue in annoyance, turning his gaze back to the flight path. For all of Deidara's recklessness and loud-mouthed arrogance, Muu couldn't deny the bond they shared. They were both monsters in the eyes of others and he considered the hotheaded art lover a genuine friend, even if he made him want to pull his hair and ear out.
"Look," Deidara pointed down toward a heavily fortified clearing surrounded by wooden palisades and canvas tents. "There it is. The main rear supply hub."
Muu instantly dropped into a combat-ready stance on the back of the flying bird. "This area will be crawling with upper-tier shinobi. Hold up... let me scout first."
Before Deidara could protest, the fabric of Muu's cloak ripped open as black, writhing tendrils tore through the cloth, carrying a grotesque mask away from his body. The mask zipped down toward the camp like a drone. Muu let out a muffled grunt of pain; his body was still adjusting to the agonizing strain of incorporating Earth Grudge Fear into his system.
He couldn't see through the mask's eyes, but as it glided above the camp, his sensory perception flared, expanding his field exponentially through the shared chakra link with his mask.
"Strange," Muu muttered, his brow furrowing beneath his bandages. "Defenses are thin. The guards down there are practically asleep. They clearly didn't expect anyone to bypass the front line and drop in from the clouds. This is our chance, if we miss this the security will tighten."
Even so, Muu's cautious nature took over. He maneuvered the mask closer to double-check the shadows for hidden chakra signatures.
Deidara grumbled, adjusting his grip on the clay bird to dive deeper into the valley. "Where's the fun in all this waiting? You're way too careful, Muu. You're missing out on the thrill of the drop... the real heart-pumping glory of battle!"
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A/N: Upto 20 Advance chapters available @ patreon.com/aizenDuchiha0