Naruto: Imitation Ninja

After seeing the pair of Rinnegan in Xing Liu's eyes, Deidara and Sasori of the Red Sands surprisingly ceased their usual bickering over saving face.

After all, if they continued to care about their pride now, they might not even survive this encounter…

"Sasori, do you think if we tell them we're willing to leave now, they'll just let us go without a fight?"

Deidara's heart, which had been filled with despair upon seeing Xing Liu block their attacks, suddenly began to stir with a glimmer of hope.

"Well... Although I don't think that's very likely, you could always try…"

At this point, Sasori dared not voice any objections. If it hadn't been for his own stubbornness earlier, they would have already left this damned desert by now.

Had they left sooner, there wouldn't be so many problems now, would there?

"Then... I'll give it a try."

Since they were likely going to die anyway if things continued like this, why not gamble on the chance that the other party might spare them? If they won the gamble, it would be a happy ending for everyone. Even if they lost, the worst outcome was still just death...

With a gulp, Deidara raised his hands, walking toward Xing Liu as he pleaded, "Hey, big brother, can we have a proper talk?"

"Oh? What's going on? Why suddenly stop fighting?" Xing Liu, upon seeing Deidara walking toward him, also put aside his desire to bring the two closer for the time being.

Since the other side had expressed a willingness to talk, as a mature man, it was only natural to give them a chance to convince him.

After all, this rare opportunity to put in some effort would be wasted if he simply crushed them.

If he had known the outcome would be a total overpowering conclusion, he would have just dealt with them at the boundary before they even entered the village.

However, it was still quite nice to experience the plot of being a "dragon in the sky" (a supreme character in a story). If this scene were in Xing Liu's original world, it would be a dream come true for anyone who wanted to play the role of an all-powerful figure who could decide life and death with a mere gesture.

After all, who wouldn't want to be one of those characters in novels or anime who could effortlessly determine the fate of others?

"Forget about it. If I had known that Shōka [the little brat] had such an overpowered protector, they definitely wouldn't have come here recklessly."

"The task the organization gave us is important, but the premise is that there is no threat to our lives..." Naturally, these thoughts were all in Deidara's mind.

Not to mention that he could never directly say what was in his mind; just the fact that his life was still in their hands made him cautious with his words.

Otherwise, if he angered them, his life would end with a simple snap.

"Boss, can you just let us go?"

"We promise we won't set foot on Konoha or Sunagakure's territory again. After all, you don't want to make an enemy of the Akatsuki, do you?"

"???"

"???"

What the hell was that?

The moment Deidara finished speaking, he regretted it…

Was that really a pleading tone? If someone who didn't understand the situation heard those words, they might even think the advantage was on their side.

So when Xing Liu heard those words, he instinctively rubbed his ears to make sure he wasn't mishearing, and upon confirming he wasn't, he used "Chibaku Tensei" to pull Sasori back, who had been trying to escape.

"So, can I now take this as you two wanting a proper fight with me?"

"No... no! Listen to me... no, wait, let me explain..." At this point, Deidara sighed dramatically as he returned to his usual tone.

"Would you believe me if I said I didn't say that just now?"

Seeing Deidara so flustered, Xing Liu could understand. However, understanding or not, a fight was inevitable. But he could still have some fun with it...

Xing Liu looked at Sasori, whose eyes were filled with fury at Deidara, and then thought back to the question he had considered earlier: If two artists from different schools fought, who would win?

Heh, this was the perfect time to find out, wasn't it? After all, both sides were already glaring at each other. If he stoked the fire a little, they would surely end up fighting.

With that thought, the acting master that was Xing Liu came into play. He glanced back and forth between Deidara and Sasori, then sighed deeply: "Sigh... Actually, I don't want to fight you."

"This mission came directly from our leader, and we were ordered to wipe you out. Otherwise, I'd have made sure we could have a 50-50 situation and let you leave quietly, but..."

Upon hearing Xing Liu's words, both Deidara and Sasori had the thought of going all in, prepared for a desperate outcome. But when they heard his sudden pause, they sensed a glimmer of hope.

(PS: Classic example of being sold out while counting the money for the one who sold you out…)

The first fool, Sasori, couldn't hold back any longer and asked, "Boss, is there any chance for a turn of events? If you just let us leave, we'll agree to anything."

The second fool, Deidara, quickly added, "Yeah, yeah! If you tell us what you need for us to leave, we'll agree to any conditions!"

Seeing the sincerity in their eyes, Xing Liu put on a "difficult" expression.

Seeing him act like this, Deidara and Sasori thought their sincerity had worked on him. After exchanging a glance, they planned to turn up the pressure, hoping to make him give in.

The first fool: "Boss, if you let us leave, I'll give you all the hundred puppets I'm carrying right now."

Seeing Sasori offer up his trump card, Deidara, not wanting to be outdone, thought about what he had. He had clay... and... well, nothing else.

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