The Strongest Artist in Naruto

Bam! A perfectly intact desk shattered into splinters.

"Damn traitorous ninja!" Ay roared, his fury over the ambush on Killer Bee five days ago still fresh. His brother had barely escaped with his life, and the Fourth Raikage was seething.

"How is Bee?" Despite his usual temper, a flicker of concern softened his tone when he mentioned his younger brother.

Mabui, his blonde secretary, responded quickly. "Bee-sama is fine. He's already resumed training to perfect his control as a jinchūriki."

The thought of the events from a few days prior caused the entire upper echelon of Kumogakure to shudder. Their secret haven, Giant Turtle Island, hidden for decades, had been infiltrated. Even Gyūki, the Eight-Tails, had been defeated.

Fortunately, the Eight-Tails wasn't taken, and Killer Bee had survived. Mabui didn't dare imagine what would've happened otherwise. Given Kumogakure's battle-hardened culture, it might've sparked a new Shinobi World War.

"Have we identified the attackers?" Ay demanded.

Kumogakure's intelligence network had been working at full capacity since the incident. Spies and informants stationed abroad had been activated. Even in just a few days, they had uncovered substantial information.

"One of them is confirmed to be Deidara from Iwagakure," Mabui reported. "He was originally the student of the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, but was exiled due to his obsession with creating explosions. He's an S-rank rogue ninja."

"And the other two?" Ay's voice was sharp with impatience and anger.

"We haven't identified them yet. Our shinobi were too far away to see their faces directly. Deidara's identity was revealed only because his explosive techniques are so distinctive," Mabui explained, clearly frustrated.

"What about Bee? Does he remember anything from the fight?"

"Bee-sama was in a berserk state when he emerged from the island. His memories of the battle are fragmented, but he vaguely recalls that one of the attackers used Magnet Release."

"Magnet Release?" Ay was momentarily taken aback.

Throughout history, only three individuals had been known to wield Magnet Release: the Second, Third, and Fourth Kazekage. The Second Kazekage was long dead, and the Third Kazekage had disappeared years ago. That left only the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa.

"Was it Rasa?" Ay speculated.

"It's unlikely," Mabui replied. "Our intelligence confirms that Rasa hasn't left Sunagakure recently. Besides, if the Kazekage wanted a tailed beast, he would've captured Bee instead of retreating."

The movements of a Kage were always under scrutiny, making it nearly impossible for Rasa to leave his village undetected. Moreover, Sunagakure was in the southwest, while Kumogakure was in the northeast. If Rasa wanted a tailed beast, it made more sense to target those in neighboring countries, like the Land of Earth or the Land of Fire.

"Even so, Magnet Release can't be unrelated to Sunagakure. Send a diplomatic inquiry to the Kazekage. I want an explanation," Ay barked. "And Ōnoki—he couldn't even control his own student! Notify Iwagakure to clean up their mess."

Mabui nodded, her pen moving swiftly to note the Raikage's orders.

"And the third enemy?" Ay's tone turned grim.

"From what we've gathered, the last one was at the level of an elite jōnin. Their threat level is significantly lower, but their identity remains unknown," Mabui answered.

"Enough!" Ay growled. "I'm going to train. The rest of the paperwork is your responsibility." He strode out of the office, which, as usual, he barely spent any time in.

Meanwhile, in the Land of Rain, Nagato sat deep in thought. For ten days, he had wrestled with a decision he couldn't make.

"Konan, you support Deidara's proposal, don't you? Tell me why," he said, his voice echoing through the dimly lit room. The shadow of Tendo Pain loomed over her.

"Nagato," Konan began, her words calm but firm, "no single person can achieve everything alone. Even the Sage of Six Paths needed others to found Ninshū and bring peace. We should be no different."

Her concise reasoning struck a chord. Nagato, who carried the power of the Rinnegan and styled himself as a god, was always striving to emulate the legendary Sage.

"I see now." He nodded, resolution hardening in his eyes. Tendo Pain formed a hand sign, and his astral projection appeared in Akatsuki's secret base.

"Summoning Jutsu! Gedo Statue!"

The looming form of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path emerged. Nagato's voice resounded with authority.

"Let us convene an Akatsuki meeting."

The third Akatsuki assembly was officially underway.

"Don't you think we've been having too many meetings lately? There's barely any time to rest," Kisame remarked, his signature shark-like grin widening. "What do you think, Itachi?"

Uchiha Itachi stood silently, his Sharingan glowing ominously. He showed no reaction.

"What now? I haven't even prayed to Jashin yet!" Hidan complained loudly, his scythe resting on his shoulder.

Ignoring him, Pain declared, "I'm here to announce the approval of Deidara's proposal. From today onward, Akatsuki will expand its external forces."

"Finally, some help! This might actually make things easier," Kisame quipped.

"Indeed. More members means more income. The organization's finances will improve faster," Kakuzu added with his usual pragmatism.

"Let's assign roles." Pain's gaze swept over the group. "Kakuzu, you're familiar with the underground networks. You and Hidan will handle recruiting rogue ninja from that sphere."

"Kisame, Itachi, you'll cover the regions around the Land of Fields, the Land of Bears, the Land of Frost, the Land of Tea, and the Land of Hot Water."

"As for Sasori and Deidara, I have a separate task for you." Pain's tone darkened. "Zetsu has tracked Orochimaru to the Land of Wind. Your mission is to eliminate him and retrieve the missing ring."

"Once the mission is complete, establish a new Akatsuki base in the Land of Rivers."

"Orochimaru, huh?" Deidara grinned. "Finally, I get to meet the so-called 'genius.' I'll need his help to unlock advanced explosives."

"Leader," Deidara suddenly smirked, "are you going to contribute this time, or are you just going to laze around at the base?"

Everyone froze for a moment, before casting sly, approving glances at Deidara.

Deidara, you're bold. You finally said what we've all been thinking.

Nagato: "..."

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Pls Drop some Power Stones

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