The Strongest Artist in Naruto

Among the harshest environments in the entire ninja world, the Land of Rain, plagued by constant downpours that hinder farming, doesn't even come close. The real champion of hostility is the Land of Wind, a nation built entirely within a sprawling desert.

While the Land of Wind boasts a vast territory, most of it is barren wasteland. Only a few scattered oases are habitable, the rest is an endless sea of sand, plagued by frequent sandstorms. Sparse and resilient flora and fauna cling to life here, but it's a realm of desolation for the most part.

For someone like Orochimaru, a shinobi notorious for having secret hideouts scattered across the ninja world, it was only natural to establish a base in the Land of Wind. Recently, he had become obsessed with the forbidden jutsu Impure World Reincarnation and had been conducting relentless research within one of his desert facilities.

BOOM!

A muffled explosion shook the underground base, causing sand to trickle down from the ceiling, dusting Orochimaru's current experiment. He paused, irritation flickering across his otherwise fanatical expression.

"Orochimaru-sama! We're under attack!" A subordinate dashed into the lab, breathless and frantic.

"Oh?" Orochimaru's elongated tongue flicked out, licking his upper lip in a habit both unsettling and deliberate. His voice, soft and serpentine, dripped with curiosity. "Who is it?"

"I'm not sure! But they're all wearing black cloaks with red clouds—they must be from the Akatsuki!"

So, the Akatsuki had come for him.

The moment he decided to defect with the Sky Ring, Orochimaru had anticipated the Akatsuki's leader would send assassins after him. Yet, he remained unperturbed.

He could have avoided this entire mess by simply leaving the ring behind. Doing so might have lessened the intensity of the pursuit. But Orochimaru's insatiable curiosity and thirst for the unknown wouldn't allow him to part with the artifact, a fascinating creation born from the power of the Rinnegan.

Besides, he wasn't one to be intimidated so easily.

Orochimaru strolled leisurely toward the entrance of the base. The harsh sunlight of the desert greeted him, along with two waiting figures clad in the Akatsuki's signature cloaks.

One of them he recognized: Sasori of the Red Sand. The two had once been teammates, though their approaches to immortality had diverged significantly. While Orochimaru sought eternal life by transferring his consciousness between bodies, Sasori achieved a grotesque form of permanence by transforming himself into a human puppet.

This philosophical rift made them bitter enemies, each eager to destroy the other.

Standing beside Sasori was a blonde youth whom Orochimaru didn't recognize.

Ah, so this must be one of the Akatsuki's new recruits after my departure, he mused, his sharp eyes evaluating the boy dismissively. He doesn't look like much.

As Orochimaru studied Deidara, the latter returned the scrutiny. The infamous mad scientist of the ninja world was an undeniably intriguing figure.

"Sasori, are you here to kill me?" Orochimaru asked smoothly, his eyes flicking briefly to Deidara. "And that brat—he must be from Iwagakure, yes?" Orochimaru's habit of scouting potential vessels had made him well-acquainted with the prodigies of each village.

Sasori, clearly annoyed, opted for action over words. He unfurled a scroll and summoned his puppet: the Third Kazekage.

"Orochimaru, this desert is my domain. Here, you're doomed." Indeed, the sandy terrain amplified Sasori's magnet release to devastating effect, making him akin to a shark in water.

"Heh." Orochimaru chuckled, his unsettling laugh echoing in the arid air. "You know, I do have a habit of collecting interesting things for myself…"

He formed a series of seals.

"Impure World Reincarnation!"

The ground split open as a coffin emerged, bearing a single kanji: Three.

"What?!" Sasori's usual composure cracked as the coffin opened to reveal a man identical to the Third Kazekage—because it was the Third Kazekage.

"You… Sasori… you turned my body into a puppet?!" the resurrected Kazekage roared, his last memories frozen at the moment of his death at Sasori's hands.

"Let's see which of us has the stronger toy," Orochimaru taunted as he placed a talisman in the back of the Kazekage's head, seizing control of his actions.

The ensuing battle was chaotic. Deidara, unwilling to sit idly, unleashed clay constructs that burrowed beneath the sand in pursuit of Orochimaru.

"A restless little brat, aren't you?" Orochimaru sneered as he countered with his signature techniques.

"Multiple Striking Snake Hands!"

A swarm of serpents erupted from his sleeve, colliding with Deidara's clay creations in a flurry of explosions. Unfazed, Orochimaru shifted tactics, slicing through Deidara's constructs with precision.

As the fight escalated, the desert became a hellscape of clashing jutsu—serpents, clay beasts, and puppets locked in a deadly dance. Orochimaru's regenerative prowess kept him in the fight, his body shedding damage like a snake molting its skin.

Amid the chaos, Deidara abruptly ceased his assault, hovering in the air atop his clay bird.

"Enough," he called out. "Orochimaru, let's talk."

Orochimaru's slit pupils narrowed. "Talk? Didn't Pain send you to kill me? Disobeying orders for the sake of collaboration… how very un-Akatsuki of you."

Deidara shrugged, a sly grin on his face. "If I followed orders like a good little shinobi, I wouldn't be a rogue ninja, now would I?"

"Interesting." Orochimaru's lips curled into a sinister smile. "What kind of collaboration are you proposing?"

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Pls Drop some Power Stones

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