"You're really good at bossing people around, aren't you, Brother Sasori?" Deidara casually remarked as they made their way to the Land of Birds. He was venting a bit of frustration.
Did Nagato think the current Akatsuki was the same as the old Akatsuki? Running missions without even getting paid, all to fund the organization's activities—it's only thanks to the Rinnegan that they have any leverage at all.
Konan was an insider, so salary wasn't an issue for her. Itachi Uchiha was there as a spy, so he didn't care about pay either. Hidan was obsessed with his god, and thus indifferent to money. Meanwhile, Zetsu and Kisame Hoshigaki weren't truly aligned with Nagato, so they didn't require a salary either.
Damn! Thinking about it, the only honest members of Akatsuki who were being exploited were himself, Sasori, and Kakuzu. Especially Kakuzu—if he ever found out about the six billion explosive tags, he'd probably be so mad that even Edo Tensei wouldn't hold him back.
"So, who exactly attacked this time? Has your information network uncovered anything, Brother Sasori?" Deidara asked.
"It was the Xuanyuan Group," Sasori replied succinctly.
The Xuanyuan Group? Deidara's alertness spiked immediately. While they might not be exceptionally powerful, their abilities were bizarre, especially the bug user, who once managed to trap the Fourth Raikage. If it hadn't been for Tsunade's intervention, the Raikage might have been replaced.
"What should we do? Should I just give them a grand display of art?" Deidara suggested.
"Idiot! The important thing is to interrogate them and find out who hired them. If you kill all the Xuanyuan Group members in one go, where would we get the intel?" Sasori countered.
"Be careful, though. The Xuanyuan Group's abilities are quite peculiar," Deidara reminded him.
"I know, they're the so-called 'ninja hunters,'" Sasori replied calmly. From a certain perspective, he was also an immortal type; even if his body was damaged, he could replace it with a puppet. Thus, he didn't care much about threats that would concern ordinary people.
"As for you, Deidara, don't let them catch you off guard."
"Don't worry! My art is the strongest! Hmm!"
"Shut up, Deidara! That's not art! Eternity is art!"
Besides their secret bases, Akatsuki had several outposts intended for generating revenue, providing various services for core members, and gathering intelligence. However, Nagato's lack of leadership skills meant that these outposts were poorly managed, despite being part of the strongest organization in the ninja world. It was embarrassing that they couldn't even compare to some third-rate groups.
Contrast this with Orochimaru, who was busy with research and raising children, yet still managed to establish the Hidden Sound Village and multiple bases across the ninja world, effectively outshining Nagato.
Anyway, back to the task at hand. Deidara and Sasori arrived at the former Akatsuki outpost in the Land of Birds, located in a small city. It had been heavily damaged and quickly taken over by a new gang.
"I really don't know! I really don't know!" After using Hiruko to eliminate the last gang member, Sasori confirmed that there was no useful information to be found here.
"As expected from one of the most active and well-known underground groups, they're extremely cautious and left no traces," Sasori remarked after searching the area.
Knowing the Xuanyuan Group was responsible was relatively easy, as such a large battle would inevitably lead to some information leakage. However, tracking them down was difficult since they were professionals with hidden bases and had covered their tracks well. "Let Zetsu handle it. He's the most skilled at this," Deidara suggested. In terms of intelligence gathering, Zetsu was arguably the strongest in the entire Naruto series.
A day later, while Deidara and Sasori were resting in an inn, a pitcher plant emerged from the ground.
"Did you find them?" Sasori asked.
"Yes, they're still within the Land of Birds. Follow me," Black Zetsu replied.
The Land of Birds was a small country, so even at full speed, it wouldn't take long to cross. Soon, Deidara and Sasori followed Zetsu to a valley.
"They sure know how to pick a spot! There are so many monkeys here; maybe they're monkeys in disguise?" White Zetsu joked, though it wasn't entirely baseless. Each member of the Xuanyuan Group had a tail, and combined with their clothing style, they did resemble monkeys.
"Brother Sasori, what's the plan?" Deidara turned to Sasori.
"I'll go ahead. You stay back," Sasori replied curtly. Anyone unfamiliar with him might have been offended by his bluntness.
"Deidara, you're being underestimated!" White Zetsu teased.
"Shut up!" Black Zetsu scolded.
"I'll show you my art soon enough! Hmm!" Despite being enemies, both Black and White Zetsu weren't particularly dislikable. The comedic White Zetsu was amusing even as an adversary, and Black Zetsu's unwavering devotion over a millennium was truly touching. In terms of filial piety, Deidara considered him unmatched!
C1 Standard Type: Clay Bird
Deidara stood on a Clay Bird but didn't ascend too high to maintain concealment. He also deployed small Clay Centipedes underground and Clay Spiders in the bushes. Ninjas, with their high attack, low defense, and fragile health, could easily lose their lives if they weren't careful.
Sasori controlled Hiruko as they advanced, gradually approaching the center of the valley. Suddenly, a figure emerged from Hiruko's shadow, dressed in yellow and wielding a kunai aimed at Hiruko's neck.
"Your life is mine," the figure declared confidently, as if already envisioning the kunai slicing through flesh and the enemy clutching their throat in agony.
Clang!
"What?!" This shadow-traveling member of the Xuanyuan Group could be called Shadow Man. His kunai indeed struck Hiruko's neck, but instead of slicing through flesh, it met with a hard surface.
Hiruko's neck, though relatively weak, was still a puppet and had decent resistance. Shadow Man, not known for strength, failed to cause any damage and almost got hit by Hiruko's poisoned senbon.
"It's just a puppet?" Shadow Man reappeared from the shadow of a distant tree, his expression more serious.
"In that case, there's no need to fight you alone. I'll call the others," Shadow Man said before disappearing again, likely to alert his comrades.
Seeing this, Sasori knew stealth was pointless and accelerated his pace, heading straight for the center of the valley.
"Are you sure there are only two enemies?" At the valley's center, Bug Man, the leader of the Xuanyuan Group with the ability to control Explosive Bugs, asked.
"Definitely two. One's a puppeteer, the other's abilities are unknown, but he can fly. Earth Man is tracking him, and if he slips up, Earth Man should be able to take him down," Shadow Man replied.
Earth Man had the ability to traverse rock and soil, and could become invisible when near them, making him a formidable assassin-type ninja.