Naruto: Uchiha Youngjo's Konoha Spring

Chapter 323 Extra: The Greatest Work

In the second year of the Land of Fire Federation, during the reign of the Sixth Hokage, Kakashi Hatake, the ninja world entered a period of relative peace, but also a more complex situation.

The old ninja village system has gradually been integrated into the larger national federal structure. The former Kage now assume more administrative responsibilities in governing a region, which is different from the purely military commanders of the past.

Kakashi Hatake sat in the Hokage's office, surrounded by a mountain of documents, ranging from reports on the investigation of traces of the Otsutsuki clan within the territory to agricultural harvest forecasts.

He sighed, looked up from the documents, and gazed out the window at the prosperous and peaceful Konoha Village. He couldn't help but think that in times of peace, documents are the greatest enemy.

He scratched his perpetually disheveled silver hair, reminiscing about the days when he could while away an afternoon simply by reading "Make-Out Paradise" in the garrison captain's office.

Just then, there was a rapid knock on the office door, and Shizune strode in with an urgent communications scroll in hand, her face grave.

"Lord Kakashi, an urgent encrypted communication from the Northwest Province." Shizune's tone carried a hint of unease. "It was sent directly by a high-ranking official from Deidara."

"Deidara?" Kakashi's languid posture softened slightly as he took the scroll. "That blond guy who hangs out with Naruto all the time? How much budget is he asking for for his 'Provincial Museum of Modern Explosion Art' this time? Hmm?"

He unfurled the scroll and quickly scanned the text. A few seconds later, his usually half-closed eyes slowly widened, revealing a rare look of disbelief.

"This isn't a budget request..." Kakashi muttered to himself, handing the scroll to Shizune who was standing nearby and to Nara Shikamaru who had come in after hearing the noise.

On the scroll, Deidara's handwriting was bold and vibrant, brimming with excitement. The gist of it was: "To implement the concept that true art is explosion, and to promote regional economic and cultural exchange and the re-creation of natural landscapes, after friendly consultation and consensus reached with Temari, the leader of the Land of Wind, and Nagato, the leader of the Land of Rain, I, Deidara, a high-ranking official of the Land of Earth Province of the Fire Kingdom Federation, will conduct an 'artistic blasting' to clear the eastern spur of the Giant God Mountains (commonly known as the 'Boundary Mountain'), a natural barrier separating the Land of Rain and the Land of Wind, at noon three days from now. This is hereby reported for your information." A small clay explosion pattern was also included at the end of the signature.

Shikamaru's lips twitched after reading it, and he rubbed his forehead. "This...this is truly 'artistic'. Blowing up a mountain? Has he gone this far? And Temari-sama and Nagato-sama actually agreed? This is too troublesome..."

Kakashi sat back down in his chair, his fingers interlaced and resting on his chin. Deidara, the former Akatsuki member who had defected from the village, gained prestige during the post-war reconstruction, and unexpectedly became a high-ranking official in the Northwest Province, was never one to stay put. His artistic pursuits found new and even more troublesome ways of expression in peacetime.

"Notify Neji's side, then contact the Province of Wind and the Province of Rain to confirm the authenticity of the information, immediately!" Kakashi ordered, his voice regaining the calmness befitting a Hokage.

The communication was quickly answered. Temari's reply was concise and to the point: "It is true. This move will help the Province of Wind change its desert climate. According to expert assessments, without the obstruction of this mountain range, the stagnant moisture from the Land of Rain can reach the Land of Wind, turning large areas of desert into fertile land in less than 10 years. It has great strategic significance."

Deidara's high-ranking officials' "art" is merely an efficient means to achieve their goals. The Sand Village technology team has assessed the risks and determined they are manageable.

"Does Nagato mean the same thing?" Kakashi asked, his eyes narrowed.

“Yes,” the communications team replied. “That’s the same idea of ​​Nagato’s high-ranking officials. Blowing up this mountain would improve the perpetually rainy climate of the Land of Rain, which would be beneficial to both sides.”

Kakashi and Shikamaru exchanged bewildered glances. Well, these two neighboring leaders not only agreed, but each had very valid and irrefutable reasons. However, why did they both choose to send Deidara?

"What should we do, Kakashi-sensei?" Shikamaru sighed. "From an administrative standpoint, Deidara, as a high-ranking official, is carrying out 'infrastructure construction' within his jurisdiction and along the borders of friendly neighboring provinces, and has already obtained the consent of the relevant parties. We don't seem to have a strong reason to stop him. But from a security and impact perspective..."

“I know,” Kakashi interrupted him, his eyes sharpening. “Blowing open a mountain causes unpredictable geological shifts, climate change, and ecological impacts. Besides, that guy used explosive clay; the scale is probably…”

He stood up, walked to the window in front of the Fire Shadow Rock, and gazed into the distance, as if he could see through the distance to the mountain that was about to be baptized by "art".

"Get ready, Shikamaru." Kakashi turned around. "We need to go to the 'construction site' ourselves. By the way, in the name of the Hokage, we should invite Onoki-senpai to come along. After all, there aren't many people who can keep an eye on his 'precious disciple'."

Three days later, the target was blown up.

This mountain range, like the spine of the earth, stands majestically and severely hinders direct communication between the Province of Rain and the Province of Wind. On one side of the mountain lies the humid climate of the Province of Rain, characterized by perennial haze and drizzle, while on the other side lies the vast, arid Province of Wind, shrouded in sandstorms.

Meanwhile, the area at the foot of the mountain was unusually lively. Deidara stood on a makeshift platform, his official uniform disheveled, with his classic Akatsuki robe casually draped over it. His blond hair was tied back, and he excitedly directed his subordinates to conduct the final clearing and inspection.

His art is finally about to produce a masterpiece! Not destruction, but creation! To carve through mountains and alter geography—what art this is! This is his greatest work ever!
Not far from the high platform, Temari, the leader of the Wind Province, stood with her arms crossed, Kankuro and the Sunagakure engineering team behind her. She calmly observed the scene, occasionally whispering to Kankuro to confirm the wind direction, the expected blast radius, and the subsequent road construction plan. To her, Deidara's artistic fervor was merely a tool; the result was what mattered most.

On the other side, Nagato, the leader of the Rain Province, stood quietly in the drizzle, with Konan holding a paper umbrella for him. His eyes were calmly fixed on the mountains. For him, this was a great attempt; perhaps the tears of the Rain Country could be reduced as a result.

"Deidara! You brat, stop right there!"

A roar came from the horizon, and the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, flew angrily in his flying ninja tool, followed by a helpless-looking Kakashi and Shikamaru.

When Deidara saw his teacher, he wasn't afraid at all; instead, he became even more excited: "Oh! Old man! You've come to see my art exhibition too? Hmm!"

Onoki landed on the ground, his mustache bristling with anger: "An art exhibition? You're kidding me! Blast the mountain? Do you know how much geological disaster that will cause? If it triggers a large-scale landslide, mudslide, or even changes the groundwater system, the consequences will be unimaginable! How did you become such a high-ranking official?"

Kakashi stepped forward, patted Onoki on the shoulder to comfort him, and then looked at Deidara, Temari, and Nagato: "Gentlemen, isn't this too hasty? Although all parties have agreed, the potential risks of such a huge project need to be assessed over a longer period of time."

Temari spoke, her tone businesslike: "Sixth Hokage, Tsuchikage. The technical teams from the Ministry of Wind and Sunagakure have conducted a three-month simulation assessment. Deidara's explosive plan precisely controlled the range and yield, aiming to blast out the most suitable pass, rather than destroying the entire mountain range. Subsequent reinforcement and ecological maintenance plans are also ready." Nagato added calmly, "Amegakure has also been monitoring the situation. The mountain range itself is the biggest destabilizing factor. Change brings risks, but it also gives birth to new life."

Deidara jumped off the platform and ran to Kakashi and Onoki, his eyes shining: "That's right! Don't worry, old man and Kakashi-senpai! My art is perfect! Precise! It will absolutely only blast out the most beautiful passage! Hmm!"

Onoki was so angry he wanted to curse again, but Kakashi stopped him. Kakashi looked at the pure, unadulterated confidence and fanaticism in Deidara's eyes, then at Temari and Nagato, who had clearly weighed the pros and cons and were determined to push things forward, and knew that it was impossible to stop them now.

He sighed: "Deidara, you need to guarantee absolute control over the blast radius and power. We'll be here monitoring. If there are any signs of trouble, it must be stopped immediately."

"Don't worry! Watch me! Hmm!" Deidara confidently patted the clay bag at his waist and ran back to the platform.

It was nearing noon. The area was cleared, and everyone retreated to a safe distance. Deidara took a deep breath, plunged his hands into the clay bag, and his chakra surged violently.

"Finally... finally this moment has arrived! Feel the art! Drink!"

He abruptly hurled the specially made clay, infused with his own chakra and compressed to an extreme degree, from his palm toward the intended part of the mountain. The clay rapidly deformed and expanded in the air, no longer taking the shape of a bird or a spider, but transforming into countless fine, drill-like, peculiar structures that precisely embedded themselves into the crevices and key nodes of the mountain rock.

"C4 Garuda Modified!"

Deidara formed hand seals, his voice trembling with excitement.

Instead of a deafening roar, a burst of light appeared first. Countless blinding white beams erupted from the clay drills, instantly engulfing the entire mountainside in the target area. The light was so intense that everyone instinctively squinted or raised their hands to shield their eyes.

Immediately afterwards, a deep yet extremely penetrating hum resounded, as if the earth itself was groaning. The mountain began to tremble violently, but the tremor was strictly limited to the area Deidara had predetermined.

Then came the explosions. Thousands upon thousands of incredibly dense and precisely rhythmic explosions, a grand symphony! Rocks were precisely pulverized and stripped away, not scattered haphazardly. Smoke billowed into the sky, but was controlled by Temari's well-prepared Wind Release ninja team, who used swirling air currents to confine it within a certain area, preventing large-scale spread.

Kakashi's Sharingan quietly activated, Shikamaru's Shadow Imitation Technique was poised to strike, and Onoki had prepared Dust Release just in case. But they were all astonished to find that Deidara's control was at an astonishing level. The vast majority of the explosion's energy was channeled into the mountainside, efficiently breaking down and excavating it.

The entire process lasted nearly ten minutes. As the echo of the final explosion dissipated in the valley, and the smoke and dust slowly settled and were washed away by the rain thanks to the efforts of Temari's Wind Release ninjas, the scene before them made everyone hold their breath.

The majestic mountain range still stands tall, but on its originally intact and continuous mountain body, a huge, regular, seemingly naturally formed pass has suddenly appeared! For the first time, the sunlight shines through this newborn gap without any obstruction, like a golden beam of light, piercing through the perpetual dark clouds of the Rain Province and warmly shining on the damp land.

At the same time, the cumulonimbus clouds that linger year-round in the direction of the Rain Province also began to slowly move towards the desert through the mountain pass, bringing a new life.

It was a success. Deidara truly used his art of explosion to precisely blast open a huge passage without causing catastrophic consequences.

Deidara stood on the high platform, panting heavily, his chakra depleted, but his face beamed with an extremely satisfied and proud smile. He spread his arms and shouted to the sky, "See this! This is true art! This is my greatest work! Yes!!"

Temari gazed at the mountain pass, a glint of light in her eyes, already planning trade routes and future climate improvement strategies in her mind. Kankuro couldn't help but whistle.

Nagato's eyes reflected the ray of sunlight breaking through the gloom, and she nodded slightly. Konan tilted the paper umbrella in her hand slightly, letting some sunlight fall on her face.

Onoki stared blankly for a long time, then finally snorted and turned his head away, but there seemed to be a barely perceptible curve at the corner of his mouth as he muttered, "...That little rascal, he actually... managed to pull it off..."

Kakashi breathed a sigh of relief, lowered his guard, pulled down his mask, and revealed a helpless smile. He looked at the excited Deidara, the calmly planning Temari, the pensive Nagato, and the huge pass in the distance that symbolized change and possibility.

Is this the new "way of the ninja" in peacetime? Using the power once used for war to open up new frontiers, build new ones, and bring about change. The process is still thrilling, full of surprises and risks, but the goal is completely different.

"Honestly... they're all more troublesome than the last," Kakashi muttered, but his gaze lingered on the ray of light piercing through the clouds.

A new path has been opened, and no one knows what the future holds. But change has already occurred.

Perhaps this is also a kind of...explosive progress.

“Let’s go back,” Kakashi said, turning his head. “However, it will be Neji’s turn to worry about what happens next. Now that the passage between the two countries has been opened, the subsequent agricultural plans and road planning will all be his responsibility as the Minister of the Left.”

"By the way, any news about Naruto lately?" Kakashi asked casually.

“Who can find him?” Shikamaru said with a wry smile. “Ever since that guy learned the Sage Mode, his aura has become almost one with nature. Traditional detection methods can’t find a trace of his presence.”

"Sigh, I hope he'll be more sensible and come back soon. Otherwise, if he's not even there when his wife is giving birth, his master's wife will beat me up again. She always thinks that Jiraiya and I led Naruto astray. I, as the Hokage, also have some dignity," Kakashi sighed.

(End of this chapter)