Chapter 54 : 12th Place

[Kurotsuchi: It's actually Deidara Nii-san, Nii-san, hurry back to the village.]

[Onoki: You scoundrel, hurry back to the village. I can forgive you as your teacher.]

[Deidara: Boring, no one in the village understands my art. I won't stay in such a place.]

Iwagakure.

Scoundrel.

Onoki was furious.

Deidara is his most esteemed disciple, and it can be said that he taught him everything. But this guy, Deidara, is obsessed with art.

The art of chasing after explosions.

Marrying his granddaughter and becoming the Fourth Tsuchikage? Isn't that what most people dream of?

"Kurotsuchi, shout out on the Gold List and tell that scoundrel to come back gently," Onoki urged.

Especially the appearance of his granddaughter, those legs in particular. As an experienced individual, he'd give them a 99 out of 100. More than qualified to show off her beauty.

"Ah, Grandpa, is that really necessary?"

Kurotsuchi hesitated and didn't answer directly.

Not afraid of not knowing the quality, but afraid of comparing the goods.

Before buying, you have to shop around!

It's not about changing one's mind, nor is it about being materialistic. Kurotsuchi used to live in Iwagakure, one of the Five Great Ninja Villages. She had only seen Deidara, a peer who was better than him. Naturally, she looked up to him.

But now, with the Gold List out, that won't suffice.

Uchiha Ran, an undeniably super handsome guy, was currently the acting Hokage of Konoha, the mightiest of ninja villages. He was about to become the official Hokage, loved by all for his kindness, wisdom, and charm. The name of the Black Flash alone made even his grandfather tremble in awe and respect.

What could Deidara compare to?

Art?

"Grandpa, it's hard to talk sense into a stubborn mule. Let's just forget about it," Kurotsuchi said.

Onoki: ? ? ?

Deidara was presented with options.

Option 1: Raise bloodline limit to the highest level (increase Chakra, master a series of secret techniques)

Option 2: Perform a primary draw in Myriad Realms.

"An artist's luck is on my side. I choose the second option!"

Deidara disregarded Onoki and made his decision straightaway.

He's quite young at the moment, so his Chakra isn't sufficient, and his bloodline limit's development is also lacking. But given a few more years, his bloodline limit can naturally be elevated to the highest level. No need to rush things.

"Shu~"

The disk materialized and spun.

After three experiences, everyone was familiar with the process, yet the anticipation remained.

In the end, Deidara chose the item and obtained an item of the Pirate World.

"Explosion Fruit!"

The name thrilled Deidara.

Art is all about explosions!

Explosion Fruit: Any part of the body can detonate, even a booger can burst. Exhaling air from the mouth can serve as an explosive. It's impervious to bombs. Even if a bomb is ingested, it won't cause any harm.

[Video commentary: This is the Alabasta chapter. Mr.5, the user of the Explosion Fruit, debuted on Whisky Peak. Alongside his partner, they pursued and targeted Princess Vivi. Igaram resisted desperately to shield Vivi but was defeated.]

The clips were short, primarily to showcase the devil fruit's ability.

Many were envious.

The ability to explode any part of the body was truly fearsome.

After all, ninjas were beings who could be killed by a kunai. What's more lethal than an explosion right in their face?

Of course, the strong didn't fear it much. While the explosive ability was challenging to deal with, overcoming it with a single method wasn't impossible.

However, it delighted Deidara.

After all, he was a master of explosions, but he had to rely on clay.

This Explosion Fruit was like granting him the power to break through.

The aspect that excited him most was that he wouldn't be harmed by the explosions.

This meant he could use his lethal techniques without restriction, introducing various methods of attack.

"This fruit is a godsend for someone like Deidara."

"But fortunately, devil fruit users are susceptible to weaknesses like seawater and sea stone, and Explosion Style is essentially an upgraded version of Earth Style. It was defeated by Lightning Style, so it's quite easy to counter."

"Mainly because I possess Flying Thunder God."

Uchiha Ran had no fear of Deidara, but he was envious of this living bomb.

"Well, I'll find an opportunity to bring him under my wing."

Uchiha Ran pondered to himself.

At that moment, Deidara took a bite of the Explosion Fruit, garnering everyone's attention.

"Vomit!"

Unprepared, Deidara collapsed to the ground.

This stench was a hundred times worse than the combination of durian, stinky tofu, and socks that hadn't been washed for half a year – things he despised. His stomach cramped due to the intense discomfort.

The members of the Akatsuki organization, who had wisely distanced themselves from the camera's range, were all taken aback.

Was this swollen reaction part of the Gold List reward?

"Boom!"

As Deidara gradually recovered, the bell chimed again.

A three-dimensional figure appeared, donning the Cloud Shinobi headband, belonging to a middle-aged man with his left eye covered.

Upon seeing this individual, the Hyuga clan members in Konoha Village clenched their fists.

They recognized this man as a Cloud Shinobi Village Jōnin, a longstanding follower of Raikage, and a wielder of the same type of eye as Kirigakure Ao – both were eyes of the Hyuga clan.

Could it be that Dodai had obtained an elevated form of the Byakugan, thus earning the name in "Bloodline Limit List"?

"Don't worry, Patriarch Hiashi. I'll retrieve this eye for you," Uchiha Ran reached out, patting Hyuga Hiashi's shoulder.

He had already brought back an evolved Byakugan.

Regarding the existence of Zanpakutō and bloodline limits as strong as Kage-level, whose power was undeniably formidable, Sarutobi Hiruzen and others refrained from commenting. Instead, they tacitly agreed that he would become a part of Konoha.

But what exactly were their thoughts, that remained uncertain.

Thirteenth place: Dodai (Lava Style Bloodline Limit Advanced)

Option 1: Elevate Lava Style blood to the highest level (increase Chakra, learn a series of secret techniques)

Option 2: Possess the Hyuga bloodline, acquire a pair of intermediate Byakugan eyes

Both Byakugan and Sharingan are eyes that can be activated with a button, but the former is less burdensome than the latter.

It's not that Byakugan is inferior to Sharingan, it's just that at higher levels, it becomes more taxing on the body. Hence, both Ao and Dodai wear blindfolds embedded with special seals.

The two rewards were formidable.

"I choose the first option!" Dodai made his decision.

He was growing older, and a pair of intermediate Byakugan eyes wouldn't be much use to him. But if his bloodline limit could be enhanced further, numerous advantages could be unlocked.

"Boom!"

After Dodai received his reward, the next person on the list would emerge.

He was the guardian of the Fourth Raikage, the sole heir of the Third Raikage's Black Lightning Style, Darui.

This person's placement wasn't surprising to anyone. After all, he possessed the Blue Lightning Bloodline Limit and was already a Cloud Shinobi Elite Jōnin.

Twelfth place: Darui (Blue Lightning Bloodline Limit Advanced)

Option 1: Inherit the Third Raikage's legacy (can be acquired directly, full integration would take one month)

Option 2: Evolve to the highest level of the bloodline's limit

Upon the appearance of this choice, the Ninja world trembled!

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