Naruto: From Extra to Savior

The campfire, which had been giving a bit of light in the dark, was completely extinguished, no longer revealing their exact location. The six alarmed ninjas quietly waited for Hiashi Hyuga's orders.

Soon after, the Hyuga clan head, having deactivated his Byakugan, spoke grimly, "Both of them have immense chakra. They certainly aren't weaklings."

His words dashed everyone's hopes. If someone of Hiashi Hyuga's caliber was praising them, there was absolutely no chance these two would appear here without purpose at this moment. Chances were high they were specifically targeting Mizuki and his group.

"It seems those two haven't pinpointed our position yet—they're still thrown off by the traps and Genjutsu barriers." Under Hiashi Hyuga's Byakugan, the enemy's actions were practically impossible to hide from reconnaissance. "If that's the case, we should get ready first—or even hit them back before they recover."

However, before Hiashi Hyuga could finish speaking, a series of violent explosions echoed from the distance, immediately destroying all the traps in that area. Such aggressive obstacle removal made the group of six instantly grow serious.

"This commotion… Is it Deidara? Then the other must be Sasori? Of course, the Art duo—no sooner did I think about them than we encountered them so quickly."

...

Meanwhile, not far away, Sasori and Deidara advanced through an area of exploding ruins.

"Aniki Sasori, I've been saying it forever—true art is all about explosions! Look at this; it solved everything in one go!" Deidara bragged to Sasori. "Who needs your puppets to scout the way?"

"Stop babbling, Deidara. Don't keep them waiting." The deep, raspy voice of Red Sand of the Desert echoed out from within Hiruko. With such a huge disturbance, the enemy surely noticed as well. In that case, we'll just break straight through head-on.

"Hiruko says they don't have many experts on the other side. Perhaps only the Hyuga clan head might be somewhat troublesome, but even that shouldn't be too difficult. With me and Aniki Sasori here, this'll be a piece of cake…"

Also known as Akatsuki's Genbu, Zetsu possessed exceptional reconnaissance skills. It was normal for Zetsu to know much information others didn't.

Back on the other side, the Konoha group was discussing strategies when they watched the enemies draw closer. Despite various attempts to block them, every obstacle was recklessly destroyed. Feeling how rapidly the enemies were advancing, Mizuki couldn't help suggesting, "Shouldn't we retreat temporarily? They're coming too fast—we barely have time to prepare…"

In terms of raw strength, the Konoha group wasn't helpless—but their biggest fighter, Hiashi Hyuga, seemed outmatched. The Gentle Fist works best at close range. Yet both Deidara and Sasori were exactly the types least suited against Hiashi.

Never mind Sasori—he's got explosive clay, puppets, even the ability to fly. His long-range attacks were extremely powerful and allowed him to hover above, untouchable while relentlessly bombarding opponents. He could wear down any enemy with sheer persistence.

As for Red Sand of the Desert, he'd be even tougher to handle. That tough Hiruko puppet acted as a shell that could neutralize most of the Gentle Fist's power. His whole body was packed with countless hidden mechanisms, all loaded with deadly poison – fighting him was a real nightmare. And his ultimate move, the Hundred Puppet Army technique, overwhelmed opponents with sheer numbers alone – it was pure torment. Add in the Iron Sand Body special jutsu unique to the Third Kazekage's puppet, and he became every ninja's worst nightmare.

Someone as skilled as Hiashi Hyuga could probably handle things defensively using the Rotation technique. But when it came to offense, it just wasn't enough. The Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm and Palm of Empty Space needed wide, sweeping motions, which made landing a hit extremely difficult against agile enemies like Deidara and Red Sand of the Desert, who had countless ways to dodge or block.

As for other fighters, Temari and Gaara might hold their own three years from now, but right now they still had quite a gap to close. Without releasing Shukaku, neither possessed the strength for direct confrontation against Deidara and Red Sand of the Desert.

Kurenai Yuhi would definitely be an asset though – illusionary-style ninjas either became game-changers if their genjutsu worked, or found themselves useless when countered. Whether Red Sand of the Desert was susceptible to genjutsu remained unclear. His entire body was just a reincarnation core generating chakra without even a brain. Standard genjutsu were unlikely to affect him at all.

"Then maybe Kurenai should focus on restraining Deidara? At least this younger version of Deidara probably isn't as strong yet as he'll be in three years…"

Mizuki fully realized how cowardly his suggestion sounded. But considering the pride of Konoha ninjas, no one would seriously consider fleeing without even facing the enemy. Plus they had the numbers on their side too, with two jonin present – nobody believed that some random duo popping out of nowhere could actually beat them.

"The combat readiness is sufficient. We can fight." As team leader, Hiashi Hyuga made the final decision regarding overall strategy, prompting everyone else to reluctantly nod in agreement.

"Well then… I barely survived Orochimaru yesterday, and now today I'm staring down the Akatsuki itself – Deidara and Sasori! Talk about non-stop pressure. Still…"

Fortunately, this time Mizuki wasn't alone. Even if heaven collapsed, there'd be taller people to hold it up first. Anyway, escape seemed impossible – how could ground runners ever outrun flying puppets? Unless abandoning Gaara completely, none of them would manage to escape without repelling both Deidara and Sasori.

"No choice but to charge ahead – easy or difficult alike. But this time around, the enemy was way beyond run-of-the-mill guys like Suigetsu Hozuki…"

Receiving the battle orders, everyone stopped hesitating and began setting up defenses to prepare for resistance. Especially Mizuki – facing such powerful enemies meant holding nothing back anymore. Quickly pulling out four vials of Omnipotence Serum, he handed one to Kurenai Yuhi, one to Ko Hyuga, and another to Hiashi Hyuga. Seeing the clan leader accept the serum eased Mizuki's anxiety slightly. That man represented tonight's greatest fighting force. The Gentle Fist was a guaranteed killing technique – its very nature ensured death if a vital point was hit. Without special countermeasures, there were absolutely no second chances.

Moreover, this wasn't some one-on-one duel on a fair battleground. Didn't they still have Kurenai Yuhi and Mizuki as backup? And with his Byakugan and Gentle Fist, Ko Hyuga was definitely no pushover either. Mizuki knew they were outmatched, but not without a shot.

[First step—get rid of Deidara, then focus all attacks on Red Sand.]

Mizuki already had the basic strategy figured out. Sasori was experienced and versatile—far from an easy target. Unless the Gentle Fist could strike directly at his reincarnation core, he'd be nearly impossible to eliminate. On the other hand, Deidara, who was still somewhat inexperienced, would be much easier to handle. Explosive Clay was troublesome, sure, but as long as none of them got hit in a critical area, Mizuki was confident he could wear Deidara down using his medical ninjutsu skills and life-saving pills. After all, Explosive Clay wasn't unlimited, and the Konoha group bore no deep grudge against Deidara nor had mocked his artistic views, so they probably wouldn't end up facing any self-destructive attacks.

Mizuki handed Temari the last life-saving pill: "You and your little bro can split it between you. It works whether taken inside or applied outside. But keep this in mind—you're still young. If something goes wrong later, don't come crying to me."

There shouldn't be any major side effects for minors, though. Still, since no testing had been done, better safe than sorry.

Seeing how seriously the four from Konoha were taking things, Temari realized they must really be facing a powerful enemy. She didn't refuse but accepted it directly.

After distributing the medicines, Mizuki started checking his own battle preparations.

[I've already burned through all the chakra I stocked up yesterday. Guess I'll have to rely on my body's reserves and Breath-Sealing Art now. Didn't bring many spell materials—I never expected such a fierce fight. Standard ninja gear's enough, but against these kinds of foes? It might as well be useless. What a pain in the neck...]

And those carefully-laid traps? With Deidara going wild with his Explosive Clay, they probably won't do us any good now.

[This is exactly why I hate those reckless bastards who just dive in and blow everything up...]

Not long after, the battle-ready squad caught sight of the two intruders making a dramatic entrance—Deidara's explosive arrival was hard to miss. One had blazing golden hair, wore a conceited ponytail, had blue eyes, and a youthful face—it was hard to believe that the series of large-scale explosions moments ago were all his doing.

The other, Red Sand of the Desert, looked far more menacing. Hiruko itself was already unappealing, crouching low with a steel-tailed whip protruding from its back—it was clearly dangerous at first glance.

"Be careful—the short one is a puppet. The real body might be hiding inside," said Ko Hyuga dutifully fulfilling his duty as protector, a retainer to the Hyuga Clan. "Also, the puppet likely contains potent poisons. Be extra cautious."

"Understood." Kurenai Yuhi nodded.

Mizuki also timely reminded them, "Watch out for the Puppet Master's poison. I'm not particularly skilled at antidotes either. While the medicine we distributed earlier does effectively counter poisons, it's not a specialized detoxification agent—might not work on all types of deadly toxins..."

"That should work. And if things get worse, the Hyugas have some top-shelf secret remedies up their sleeve."

Hiashi Hyuga said, "I'll handle that dangerous puppet master. You go after the blond kid."

"Fine." Mizuki still held great respect for Hiashi's strength and tactical mind. He quickly identified the weak link: Deidara, who hadn't peaked yet and was slightly weaker, was the best target to exploit. Only Hiashi had the power to handle the Puppet Master—no one else was a match for such an opponent. The remaining two—Gaara and Temari—would have to be ignored for now.

As Akatsuki stepped forward, it was Deidara, young, reckless, and full of himself, who spoke first: "Hey Konoha ninjas, no hard feelings—we just want the One-Tail Jinchuriki behind you. Hand him over and we'll be on our way..."

"Who are you people?" Hiashi looked at their matching black cloaks embroidered with red clouds—an outfit clearly belonging to some secretive organization unknown to most.

"I am Deidara. This is Aniki Sasori."

"Deidara? A disciple of the Third Tsuchikage?" Hiashi asked, surprised.

Sasori's reputation might not have spread widely. It had been many years since he'd defected from Suna, and he hadn't made much noise in the ninja world. The cunning Sasori never became famous like other rogue ninjas. Deidara, however, years ago had been a favored senior student of the Third Kazekage. His defection due to ideological differences had become major news across the ninja world. Just like Orochimaru, these direct disciples connected with the Kage were always under intense scrutiny. Especially when they turned rogue, their infamy grew even louder. So anyone paying slight attention wouldn't overlook someone like Deidara, closely tied with a Kage.

"Huh? Aniki Sasori, looks like I'm more famous than you."

"Stop wasting time. Obviously, they won't just hand over the Jinchuriki," the impatient Red Sand of the Desert stated directly. "Let's start fighting and finish this mission quickly so we can return..."

As he spoke, the tail extending from Hiruko's back shot forward, slamming straight toward Hiashi Hyuga at the front line. However, this sudden attack didn't faze the well-prepared group. They all dodged easily—even the large chunks of stone sent flying by the massive impact didn't manage to injure anyone.

"Aniki Sasori, let me handle this. I'm best at stuff like this," Deidara declared once the fight began. Someone whose actions were entirely guided by personal preference would no longer hope for words alone to make the Konoha ninjas submit. As he spoke, Deidara molded numerous [Miniature Flying Bomb], which fluttered their wings and flew toward the enemies.

"Don't let those things get close!" Hiashi warned.

With the Byakugan, Hiashi clearly saw the explosive clay loaded with dense chakra. Although he didn't yet understand exactly what these things were, preventing such dangerous substances from approaching was obviously essential.

Meanwhile, Mizuki dodged attacks from both Sasori and Deidara while carefully observing his upcoming opponents.

[Is that left eye the Byakugan, functioning like a tiny camera-equipped scope or something?]

It's really frustrating how this feeble ninja world sometimes churns out such deadly advanced tech. Plus, isn't this the very device Deidara created to neutralize Sharingan genjutsu after he was defeated by Itachi Uchiha? Seems like using illusions against Deidara just became a lot harder.

Mizuki also felt a sense of helplessness at facing an enemy who had already upgraded their gear before the real battle had even begun.

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