The Strongest Artist in Naruto

Junko finally decided to take a gamble. Despite her name and innocent appearance, she had grown up in a noble family and possessed an innate sense for politics.

Why would these two mysterious individuals want her involvement? It was simple: they intended to use her name. At the very least, she could become the nominal leader of Matsuzaka City. But if she refused, and these two triumphed, she'd end up with nothing.

Power wasn't something Junko particularly cared for. However, with her family in ruins, Matsuzaka Castle had become her last hope—a legacy for her parents, her clan, and all the beauty of her past life.

Whoosh!

The wind roared in her ears. As an ordinary person standing on Deidara's clay bird, Junko struggled to conceal her fear. She kept her gaze forward, though her trembling legs betrayed her after a single glance at the dizzying drop below.

"Is this Zoey guy really that strong?" Deidara asked, his voice slightly distorted by the wind.

"His Earth Release techniques are incredibly powerful—far stronger than your average jōnin," Junko replied. Although she wasn't a ninja, her upbringing gave her some idea of Zoey's prowess.

"In fact, Zoey could have easily gone to the royal capital or a bigger city, but for some reason, he chose Matsuzaka. Because of that, we've been utterly helpless against him."

Her voice carried a hint of sorrow as memories of her clan's tragedy surfaced.

"Where does he stay in the city?" Deidara pointed at Matsuzaka City below.

Junko carefully leaned forward, clutching his sleeve as if her life depended on it. Her delicate finger pointed to a grand mansion in the heart of the city.

"There. That's the old castle lord's residence. Ever since Zoey killed my father, he's holed himself up there and rarely comes out."

"Are there any innocents inside?" Deidara asked eagerly, already toying with a lump of clay in his hand.

"N-No. Everyone there is loyal to Zoey—they exploit the townspeople and are no better than scum," Junko answered firmly. She pulled back, her dizziness and trembling legs urging her to sit down. Yet her noble upbringing forced her to maintain decorum.

"Great!" Deidara grinned.

"Let's settle this in one go."

The clay bird swerved slightly as Deidara's hand-mouths spat out a clay sphere. With a pop, it expanded to the size of a bedroom. Its lack of intricate design didn't bother him—it was all about the right scale for the explosion.

Junko couldn't help but flinch at the sight of the mouths on Deidara's palms, her distaste barely concealed. It seemed to be a universal reaction among women. Black Zetsu, Karin, and now Junko had all reacted the same way.

"Are you really going to blow up the castle lord's residence?" she asked hesitantly.

"Bingo!" Deidara exclaimed with excitement.

"Art is an explosion! Katsu!"

The detonation rocked the city, reducing the once-imposing castle lord's residence to a smoldering pile of rubble.

[Zoey's Shock Value +500]

[Ryuji's Shock Value +250]

The system notifications trickled in, and Deidara noted the relatively low values.

"Huh. If Zoey were dead, the numbers would've been higher," he muttered.

"Is he really dead?" Deidara circled the ruins on his clay bird, his sharp eyes scanning the ground.

"An elite jōnin shouldn't go down that easily."

"Zoey probably escaped," Junko interjected. "There's a secret passage under the castle."

"Idiot," Sasori said, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "She already told you he's an Earth Release user. Even without a secret passage, he could burrow his way out."

"Tch! I got careless!" Deidara groaned, smacking his forehead.

"Whatever. Junko, go calm the townspeople. Seeing the castle suddenly reduced to rubble is probably terrifying for them."

Junko nodded, grateful for the excuse to leave the dizzying height of the clay bird. She hurried to reassure the citizens, who were already beginning to gather.

Later that evening, Matsuzaka Castle still buzzed with activity as news of Zoey's downfall spread. While most of the residents celebrated, Junko returned to the inn where Deidara and Sasori were staying.

"Thank you so much for your help!" she said earnestly, bowing deeply.

"Don't mention it," Deidara replied, waving her off as he molded more clay.

"You mentioned wanting to use Matsuzaka as a base?" Junko asked cautiously.

"Yeah, but relax. We're not some evil organization. We just need a branch here to collect intelligence—nothing more," Deidara explained.

"Really? I'll do everything I can to support your group!" Junko replied, relieved by the simplicity of their request.

"Just to be clear, it's not my organization," Deidara added. "I'm just a member, like Sasori here."

Junko gasped, her curiosity piqued. If Deidara and Sasori weren't the leaders, how powerful must the actual leader be?

At that moment, Maruta, one of Junko's guards, knelt before them. His head bowed so low it nearly touched the floor.

"Please let me join your organization!" he shouted. "I want to grow stronger—strong enough to protect Lady Junko!"

Deidara raised an eyebrow, smirking at Sasori. "What do you think, Scorpion-chan? Wanna give him a shot?"

----------------

Pls Drop some Power Stones

Read more than +100 chapters and support me on Patreon

Patreon(.)com/Jixo