“Lord Deidara!”
After Deidara dismounted from the Giant Clay Bird, the Iwagakure Ninjas greeted him respectfully.
“Go and count our army’s casualties.”
Deidara said after stepping down from the Giant Clay Bird.
“Yes, Lord Deidara!”
The Ninja bowed respectfully to Deidara and then went to count the fallen Ninjas.
Soon, through the Ninjas’ efforts, the number of casualties was tallied.
“Lord Deidara, two hundred dead, seven hundred injured.”
The Ninja in charge of the count said respectfully to Deidara.
“That’s acceptable; our casualties aren’t too high.”
Deidara nodded.
He had expected the death toll on his side to reach seven or eight hundred, but he hadn’t expected most to be merely injured.
After all, the surprise attack force led by the Fourth Raikage consisted of elites, none below the rank of Chunin, while the border defense force was composed mostly of Genin.
“This is all thanks to Lord Deidara.
If it weren’t for Lord Deidara turning the tide, we would likely have been completely overrun this time.”
The Ninja flattered Deidara.
“What is your name?”
Deidara decided to keep this person as his follower.
This person was quite efficient, and furthermore, he spoke well.
Deidara planned to let him follow him in the future to help handle matters.
Although Deidara’s predecessor was a captain, being a captain wasn’t worth much.
Just here at the border, there were as many as ten captains, nine of whom were Special Jonin.
Only one person was a Jonin.
“Reporting to you, Lord, my name is Nitu!”
The Ninja was overjoyed.
He knew of Deidara’s potential; with his potential, becoming a high-ranking official was absolutely no problem.
Even if he lacked the seniority now, he would surely attain it in the future.
“Nitu?”
Deidara was puzzled; this name was far too perfunctory.
“This is the name my parents gave me, hoping that, like soil, I would be ordinary but still able to fulfill my purpose.”
When Nitu spoke, there was no ripple on his face, as if he were recounting something that didn’t belong to him.
“Is that so?
Then following me is the time for you to fulfill your greatest purpose.”
Deidara patted Nitu on the shoulder.
Although Nitu disguised it well, the trace of sorrow deep in his eyes could not be hidden.
“Yes, Lord!”
Nitu instantly adjusted his state, putting on a serious look.
“Lord Deidara, Lord Reito requests your presence for a meeting.”
A Ninja appeared, bowed to Deidara, and then spoke.
“Reito?”
Deidara searched through his memories for this person and quickly found it.
This person was the only Jonin and the supreme commander specially dispatched by Ōnoki to guard the border!
It could even be said that without the Tsuchikage present, no one else’s orders held any weight; only Reito’s commands were effective.
“Go back and report to Lord Reito that I will go immediately.”
Deidara said.
“Yes, Lord Deidara, then I will take my leave.”
The Ninja bowed again and quickly disappeared from the spot.
“Lord Deidara, are we…?”
Nitu looked at Deidara with an inquiring gaze, as if asking whether they should go.
“Let’s go.”
Deidara quickly molded a clay bird.
As he tossed it out, the clay bird rose with the wind and instantly transformed into a Giant Clay Bird!
“Get on!”
Deidara called out to Nitu.
Nitu climbed onto the Giant Clay Bird with excitement.
“The scenery from the sky is truly…”
Soon, Deidara flew with Nitu to a height of one hundred meters.
Although it wasn’t very high, it was already a novel experience for Nitu.
Soon, under Deidara’s control, the Giant Clay Bird flew to the command post set up at the border.
This was the place where the captains held their meetings.
“Deidara, you are truly our great hero!
Without you, I’m afraid we would have fallen this time!”
Reito came up and hugged Deidara.
Reito was two meters tall with bronze skin, only slightly lighter than the black people from the Hidden Cloud Village.
Hugging Deidara was like holding a little chick.
“Big Brother Reito, this is all your credit; I just stole the glory!”
Deidara struggled out of Reito’s bear hug and said after gasping for air.
“Nonsense.
If it weren’t for you, Deidara, we would have truly fallen.
Besides, I don’t remember you being such a shy person!”
A person put his hand on Deidara’s shoulder and said.
“Stop teasing me, Tuxuan.”
Deidara looked at the arm resting on his shoulder, searched his memory, and instantly remembered.
Tuxuan was his teammate; after being promoted to Special Jonin, he had been assigned to the border as a captain along with him.
“Alright, alright, let’s go inside and talk!”
Reito interrupted Tuxuan and Deidara and stepped into the command post.
“Let’s go!”
Tuxuan patted Deidara and gave him a thumbs up.
“Okay!”
Deidara said with a smile.
Soon, everyone was seated in the command post.
“Everyone, first of all, I want to emphasize my commendation for Deidara!”
Reito stood up and said.
“If it weren’t for Deidara turning the tide, there would be a high probability that our border would have fallen this time.
Even if Lord Tsuchikage took it back later, it wouldn’t be able to wash away our shame!”
Reito became more and more agitated as he spoke.
The other captains’ expressions gradually became serious.
Their records had been incredibly dazzling before; if they added a border failure and a record of fleeing back in disgrace, they didn’t know how shameful that would be!
“This involves my responsibility; I apologize to everyone!”
Reito bowed to the many captains.
“Captain Reito, what responsibility do you have!”
“It’s all the fault of those barbarians from the Hidden Cloud Village; anyone else wouldn’t have done as well as you!”
“That’s right, you don’t need to shoulder the responsibility yourself at all, especially since we didn’t lose the border!”
Several captains scrambled to give Reito a way out, and in their eyes, Reito hadn’t actually done anything wrong.
The only mistake was that they didn’t anticipate the Hidden Cloud Village would launch a sneak attack, because Konoha was the strongest Ninja village.
It was one thing for the Hidden Cloud Village not to help them attack Konoha, but to sneak attack Iwagakure was something they truly couldn’t understand.
After all, even if the Hidden Cloud Village took a border, how long could they hold it?
Unless the Hidden Cloud Village moved their main base here, they would sooner or later be driven back by Iwagakure.
“I am indeed at fault, everyone need not make excuses for me.
Moreover, I have an important matter to tell everyone today.”
Reito said.
“I want to give my position as Captain-in-Chief to Deidara!”
As soon as Reito said this, the entire hall fell into silence.
“This…
Deidara is after all still too young.
Lord Reito, isn’t this a bit inappropriate…”
One of the captains couldn’t stand the atmosphere and directly voiced the question everyone wanted to ask.