Chapter 171: Don't Want to Deviate from the Norm
When Deidara regained consciousness and cautiously squinted around, he found himself lying in a grand hall, surrounded by a group of strange old men who were curiously inspecting him.
He instinctively tensed up.
No way. Could this really be happening? While he considered himself an artist, he always adhered to mainstream values and had no interest in the obscure and deviant hobbies of some niche artists. Whenever he encountered them, he would use explosions to cleanse the art world of these malignancies.
Could this be a backlash for his actions?
Deidara was deeply worried.
At that moment, he overheard a conversation between several of the strange old men:
"I must say, this boy has smooth skin and a look that fits our characteristics well. He really is one of us!"
'Who is one of you!' Deidara thought furiously.
"Then let's keep him here. He can help us propagate our lineage."
'Am I going to be used as a breeding tool?' Deidara felt a chill run down his spine.
"No, this boy looks rather unruly. I doubt he would comply so easily."
"Then we'll beat and scold him until he obeys. After all, discipline breeds obedience."
'Discipline...' Deidara fell silent.
"If it doesn't work out, we can just bury him."
'Use and then dispose of me?' Deidara couldn't hold it in any longer.
"You shameless old bastards! Go to hell, all of you! Hmm!"
Deidara, seething with rage, sprang up and prepared to take them all down in a surprise attack. However, he quickly realized that while he could move freely, his chakra was completely sealed, preventing him from using his abilities. His bold stance quickly turned awkward as he froze in place.
Meanwhile, the hall fell silent due to Deidara's outburst. The high-ranking members of the Hagoromo clan looked at him in stunned silence.
Moments later, one of the "old bastards" spoke up, "Let's just kill him."
Many of the "old bastards" quickly agreed.
Suddenly, a loud voice broke the silence: "Deidara! Do you still not understand your mistake?"
Deidara, who had been prepared to die with dignity, turned to see who had called his name and said, "Who are you?"
Hagoromo Mori roared back, "You don't even recognize me?"
"You look familiar... hmm," Deidara said, rubbing his chin. After a serious look at Mori, he finally clapped his hands and exclaimed, "Ah, it's you! The old man who used to nag me constantly back in the day! Hmm!"
Of all the people Deidara remembered from Iwagakure, two stood out: his strict mentor, the Third Tsuchikage Ōnoki, and the old man who always said strange things, Morinaga.
As it turns out, seeing a familiar face in an unfamiliar place made Deidara temporarily forget about his noble death. He turned to Morinaga and curiously asked, "Hey, old man Morinaga, weren't you in Iwagakure? How come you're here? Did you become a rogue ninja like me? Hmm?"
Morinaga sighed deeply and said, "Deidara, you really didn't listen at all back then. This is the homeland of the Hagoromo clan. I'm part of the Hagoromo clan, so of course I'm here."
Deidara pondered, "Hagoromo clan? Sounds familiar. Oh right! That powerful guy who defeated me mentioned it before. Hmm."
"This is the Hagoromo clan's territory. Everyone here is part of the Hagoromo clan. Including you, Deidara. Your bloodline is also Hagoromo," said a young voice from the hall.
Deidara noticed that as soon as this voice sounded, everyone in the hall, including Morinaga, stood up respectfully and bowed towards the main seat.
Following their gaze, Deidara saw a young man seated where no one had been before—the same young man who had easily overpowered him.
"I see you're all having quite the conversation," Hagoromo Gengetsu said with a faint smile as he looked around.
Morinaga quickly stepped forward and said, "Forgive us, Clan Leader. Deidara turned out this way because I failed to teach him properly..."
While Morinaga was publicly explaining and secretly trying to save Deidara's life, Deidara himself was deep in thought.
"Clan Leader... Hagoromo clan... old man Morinaga..."
Deidara's intelligence was always intact; he simply focused exclusively on his art. Matters that others deemed crucial were trivial to him. He ignored Ōnoki's teachings, let alone Morinaga's.
In a sense, this single-mindedness was its own form of purity.
Now, with his attention back on the situation and everything clearly laid out, Deidara began recalling the past more clearly.
He remembered how Morinaga always rambled about some glorious clan while Deidara was crafting his clay bombs.
Yes, it was the Hagoromo clan.
However, since Morinaga never clarified which characters made up "Hagoromo," Deidara had never taken it to heart.
Even when the term "Hagoromo Gengetsu" frequently appeared in the ninja world, it had never triggered his memories until now.
As he listened to the ongoing conversation, everything finally clicked for Deidara.
Hagoromo Gengetsu!
This young man before him was indeed Hagoromo Gengetsu!
Deidara was certain now.
Only someone of Gengetsu's caliber could have such overwhelming power.
And all these people around him were members of the Hagoromo clan.
No, he himself was part of the Hagoromo clan.
"I'm actually a Hagoromo? The same Hagoromo as Hagoromo Gengetsu? Not bad, the characters look quite artistic! Fits me as an artist. Hmm."
Realizing this, Deidara's first reaction was to appreciate the artistic nature of the name "Hagoromo."
Next, he heaved a sigh of relief:
"This means I don't have to deviate from the norm. Hmm!"
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