The Strongest Artist in Naruto

"Deidara!"

Before Deidara could even step off his clay bird, a cheerful voice called out from the direction of Iwagakure. Standing beside Ōnoki, Kurotsuchi, who had grown taller and leggier since he last saw her, waved enthusiastically.

Ōnoki, however, stood there with a cold expression, saying nothing.

"Old man, why'd you call me back?" Deidara asked, exuding his usual mix of arrogance and irritation. That was just how their relationship worked—mutual disdain at its finest.

"Hmph!"

Ōnoki snorted dismissively. "I just wanted to see if you'd died somewhere. You're always out there causing trouble, never knowing when to rein it in. Sooner or later, someone's going to kill you."

Deidara scoffed. "Oh, please."

Ōnoki continued, unbothered. "Even the strongest can meet their end. The likes of Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara aside, who can guarantee their safety forever?

"Senju Tobirama, the Second Hokage, was powerful with his Flying Thunder God Technique, and he still died.

"The Third Raikage? A man said to have the strongest spear and shield? Dead.

"Hanzō of the Salamander? Called a demi-god, yet he also fell. So don't think you're invincible!"

"Grandpa! How can you say that?" Kurotsuchi chimed in indignantly. "Sure, Deidara can be a bit over-the-top sometimes, but he's not going to die just like that!"

Her words managed to annoy both Deidara and Ōnoki simultaneously.

"Kurotsuchi! Where am I over-the-top?!" Deidara yelled, veins practically popping out of his forehead.

"Do you want me to tie you up with another clay snake?!"

He felt like he'd been keeping things low-key lately. But his art was just too spectacular—so much so that it was impossible not to attract attention. Fame was inevitable.

"Alright, Kurotsuchi, step back. Today, I'm teaching this rebellious brat a lesson!" Ōnoki said, slowly floating upward, clearly ready to fight.

"Deidara, I'll give you one last chance. Leave that ridiculous Akatsuki organization and return to Iwagakure. Otherwise, I'll have to bring you back by force!"

Deidara sneered. "Old man, I'm not coming back!

"I've got my art to pursue! And we in Akatsuki have our own goals!"

"Then there's nothing more to discuss!" Ōnoki snapped. "Kurotsuchi, Akatsuchi, we're taking this troublemaker back—together!"

Ōnoki wasn't one for prideful one-on-one battles, after all.

As the three moved to engage, Kisame, who had been silently observing, tilted his head slightly. With a smirk, he lifted Samehada in his hand, its jagged edges gleaming menacingly.

"Your opponent will be me," he said, his shark-toothed grin widening.

Ōnoki glanced at him dismissively. "Hoshigaki Kisame, the rogue ninja of Kirigakure. Thinking you can take on all three of us? You're overconfident."

The old Tsuchikage didn't see Kisame as a major threat. After all, Kisame's true strength wasn't widely known, most assumed he was just another member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen—strong, perhaps, but nothing beyond a pseudo-Kage level.

"Oh my," Kisame said mockingly, feigning surprise. "Underestimating me, are we? Then let's start with a little warm-up!"

"Water Style: Great Exploding Water Shockwave!"

Whoosh!

A surge of water erupted, rapidly flooding the area. It felt as though a god of creation had unleashed a world-ending flood from some myth.

Ōnoki immediately floated higher, his expression growing more serious.

"This scale of Water Style… it's on par with the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama!"

That was the impression anyone seeing Kisame's jutsu for the first time would have. It was absurd—unprecedented in the modern ninja world.

Still, Ōnoki didn't say Kisame surpassed Tobirama. Mastery over techniques wasn't just about size and scale, it was about efficiency and precision. If someone could perform the same jutsu with less chakra while achieving greater effect, that was true mastery.

But while Ōnoki could fly, the others couldn't. And letting this flood reach the village was out of the question. The damage and economic loss would be catastrophic.

"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall of Ten Thousand Ri!"

A wave of earth-natured chakra surged as Kurotsuchi, Akatsuchi, and the other Iwagakure ninja worked together. The flat ground rose up into massive walls, blocking Kisame's flood and preventing it from engulfing the village.

"Not bad for Earth Style users!" Kisame admitted, though there was a hint of disappointment. The shockwave hadn't had the impact he hoped for. Still, he now had a massive lake at his disposal, perfectly suited for his Water Style.

"Water Style: Thousand Feeding Sharks!"

From the lake, dozens of sharks leaped forth, their jaws snapping as they lunged toward Ōnoki, Akatsuchi, and Kurotsuchi.

"Earth Release: Rock Gun Technique!"

Akatsuchi responded, spitting out numerous small yellow stones. As they flew, the stones grew larger, transforming into boulder-like projectiles that shattered the incoming sharks.

Meanwhile, Akatsuchi formed a colossal rock golem, its towering form rivaling a small building.

"Impressive!" Kisame remarked. 

Not intending to test his blade against the golem's sturdy defenses, Kisame began weaving hand signs with remarkable speed.

"It's been ages since I've used regular Water Style techniques. Let's see how rusty I am."

"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!"

Five enormous water dragons surged from the lake, spiraling around Kisame before darting toward the golem.

Unfazed, Akatsuchi manipulated the golem to intercept the dragons, each massive fist coated in thick layers of rock.

"Earth Release: Fist Rock Technique!"

The dragons shattered under the golem's strikes, and Ōnoki placed a hand on the golem.

"Earth Style: Light-Weight Rock Technique!"

"Go, Akatsuchi!"

"On it!"

With its weight reduced, the golem moved with uncanny speed, charging at Kisame.

Seeing the behemoth barreling toward him, Kisame muttered, "If only I had Kabutowari, I could just smash this thing!"

(T/N: The sword itself consists of a giant axe and hammer, linked end-to-end by a flat, thin, leather-like rope, which together are referred to as a "bluntsword" that is said to be able to break through any defence.)

Samehada let out an unsettling sound, as if protesting.

Kisame laughed nervously. "Just kidding, buddy! You know I'd never cheat on you. We're partners for life."

From a distance, Deidara watched the battle unfold and couldn't help but feel Kisame's aura shift.

Was it just him, or did Kisame's head seem… greener?

"Kisame, if you knew Samehada would one day latch onto someone else, even feeding them your chakra, would you still be saying such sweet things?"

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Pls Drop some Power Stones

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